The Forgotten Summer
by dksculder
Summary: Dana Scully has just moved to Washington, D.C. with her 10-year-old daughter, as a result of being recruited by the FBI as their Lead Pathologist. Her first case is led by Fox Mulder, and naturally the two get close. How will Mulder fit in to Scully's family life, and what happens when discoveries are made about the true parentage of her daughter?
1. Chapter 1

SUMMER 1982  
SAN DIEGO, CA

"Come on, Dana! You really need to stop moping around here. There's only a few weeks left of summer before you go off to shove your face in more books." Melissa Scully exclaimed, exhausted with the attitude of her younger sister.

"Missy, I'm just not in the mood." Dana mumbled, crossing her arms in protest.

"Look, I know you broke up with Marcus, but you've sulked long enough. Maybe you'll find some hot guy to have a whirlwind, one night, summer romance with."

"You're really not helping your case here. I just don't feel like going, and I don't drink. I wouldn't have a good time."

"Fine, I'm pulling out the sister card. I'm asking you to go, for me. It's more for you, but that's the only way I'm going to drag you out of this house."

"I really hate you sometimes." She said with a heavy sigh, they made a pact as children, that the sister card could never be denied. She arched her eyebrow, and pursed her lips. "Fine, whatever. But if I hate it, I'm leaving."

"Deal. Come on, we need to pick out an outfit for you. You're 18 now Danes, you should learn how to accentuate your body for the college boys." Melissa said in a flirtatious voice. Dana rolled her eyes, already regretting her decision, but knowing she didn't have a choice.

They made their way to the end of the summer beach bonfire. There were drunken college students mulling around, chatting amongst themselves. Dana kept fidgeting with the lower cut top that her sister chose for her, and felt more uncomfortable by the minute. Melissa had already disappeared with a group of her friends, leaving Dana alone with random people she didn't know. She surveyed her surroundings, examining everyone in their inebriated frenzy. She let out a heavy sigh, already preparing to leave, until she noticed a familiar face. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Marcus, mixed emotions running through her heart and mind. She got up to speak to him, before seeing a busty blonde lean into his embrace. They exchanged flirtatious smiles, and Dana could see the arousal in his eyes through the flames. She choked back the lump forming in her throat, and fought back the tears that stung her eyes. He glanced over, catching her gaze, and immediately began to make his way over to her. She turned abruptly, needing to escape, and ran right into a tall figure standing behind her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, emotions slowly escaping as she spoke. He glanced down at the tiny redhead, and could see her bright blue eyes wet with unshed tears.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked as he reached out to touch her arm in a comforting gesture. She simply nodded, not wanting to make conversation.

"Dana?" Marcus said as he approached from behind her. She immediately stiffened at the sound of his voice, and the handsome stranger standing before her noticed the change in demeanor.

"Yeah, hi Marcus." She said as she turned to face him. She licked her lips nervously and crossed her arms over her in a protective stance.

"I've been trying to call you, but you haven't returned my calls. I just think we should talk." He said sincerely. She glanced over his shoulder, seeing the blonde become annoyed by his lack of presence. She rolled her eyes, remembering why they broke up in the first place.

"There's nothing to talk about, I figured you would have received that message by the lack of returned calls." She said pointedly. The handsome stranger still standing behind her chuckled, and Marcus' eyes shot up to glare at him.

"Do you mind? We're having a conversation here." Marcus spat.

"Actually, you're the one interrupting. This is my date, that I'd like to get back to if you don't mind. Yours looks like she's waiting for you, too." She said as she directed the attention to the woman approaching them. He sighed, knowing he was the one who messed this up. He scoffed and walked away, leaving them alone.

"I'm impressed. Although, I would have dressed better if I knew this was a date." He leered at her, stepping into her personal space as she turned around to face him again. Color instantly rose to her cheeks, and she bowed her head embarrassed.

"Sorry, I panicked. He's, uh, my ex. We broke up recently, and it wasn't exactly amicable. I'm just so-" She growled frustratingly. She grabbed the beer from his hand, and downed the rest of it. He smirked at her, knowing this dreadful evening just got that much more interesting.

"Tell me how you really feel. Do you want to talk about it?" He teased at her. She searched frantically for another drink, and grabbed the first unopened beer she could find. "Or drink about it. You should probably slow down there."

"You should probably catch up." She said with a challenge in her eyes. He smiled, catching her gaze. He nodded and grabbed a case of beer, leading her away from the crowd.

They walked along the beach, beers in hand, letting the alcohol flow through them. She was starting to feel herself let go, be free, while losing all inhibitions. Dana wanted to forget everything that she endured in high school, especially towards the end. She didn't know why she was pouring her heart out to a complete stranger, but perhaps that's exactly what she needed.

"I'm just so tired of being the dutiful daughter, the one who can do no wrong. I'm the pre-med, top of my class, hardly had fun in her life, daughter. My sister is the one who dragged me here tonight, this is more her scene. You know how challenging it is, to live with that pressure and expectation on your shoulders? It's exhausting. I just want to be free." Dana slurred as she downed another beer. She had lost count, and was definitely beyond drunk, sharing too much to this mysterious, handsome man.

"I wish I could tell you that I knew how you felt, but I'm actually the opposite. I'm the disappointment, the screw up. Not academically, but I guess in every other aspect of my parents' eyes. I moved away the minute I graduated. I'm only here with a friend for the summer so I didn't have to be home with either of my parents." He said lost in his own thoughts.

"I'm sorry, life sucks. I'm ready to start college, just leave all of this mess behind. I suppose I should listen to my sister, and do something exciting before the summer's over, but that's just not me." She said as she began to stumble off the small clutter of rocks she was walking on. He reached out and caught her as she fell back into his lap.

She was startled by the movement, but her mind was too impaired to react. She glanced up at the warm, hazel eyes of the stranger. There was a moment, and she could almost swear that he was reading her mind through her eyes. She frantically captured his lips with hers, and he began to return the sentiment. She turned fully, straddling his lap. He began to remove her top, and she ran her hand ups his lean body. This wasn't like her, but that's exactly why she was doing it.

Dana was tired of living in the shadows of expectations of her parents, and older brother, Bill. She was always fearful of disappointing anyone, especially her family. If asked, her life with almost cliche. Perfect grades, many friends, somewhat popular boyfriend. The only difference was that she was the science geek, who was only known by association. She had done a few rebellious things in her time, mostly thanks to her sister, but she generally played it safe.

This moment was not safe, and that exhilarated her. Perhaps Missy was right, a quick summer romance might be exactly what she needed.

As they began to strip each other's clothes, the handsome stranger reveled in this moment. Just coming back from overseas, getting away from the mess that was his life, this was perfect. He only agreed to come out with every expectation to get wasted and forget about the man-eater of a woman who destroyed him, over and over again. To his dismay, it was his own fault. He vowed to himself to withhold from falling for her tricks, but he secretly loved the attention.

Not as much as he loved the attention of the spitfire currently grinding against his lap. She was a complete stranger, and yet he never felt more of a connection with someone. It could be the alcohol talking, but he could read the truth in her eyes. They were far enough from the rest of the crowd, hidden behind rocks. He knew they wouldn't be seen, and had too much alcohol in him to care.

She frantically unzipped his jeans, and pulled his member free. She grabbed his length, and began stroking it as she deepened their kissing.

"We, uh, should slow down." He said as he tried to control his breathing.

"Do you want to?" She asked in a sultry tone.

"No, but we're both drunk."

"Apparently I've found myself a gentleman." She said with a small chuckle. He could tell by her gaze that she was just as buzzed as him. He could also see the arousal in her eyes, and that's all he needed before pushing up her skirt, and situating her more in his lap.

She gasped as his tip rubbed against her center, and licked her lips nervously. Everything about this situation told her to stop, but the look in his eyes told her this is what she wanted. She reached down between them to skillfully remove her underwear from under her skirt, and lead him to her entrance. He glanced up at her again, asking the final question with his eyes. Her forehead was resting on his, and she nodded subtly, exhaling a shaky breath. It wasn't her first time, it was just her first time with a man she didn't even know.

He entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust. She moaned into his mouth at the contact, and began moving sporadically against him. He rested his hands on her hips to even out her rhythm, matching her movements. Their breathing became heavy, and their kissing increasing with the passion of the moment. She bit her lip as she was approaching climax, and he could feel her tightening around him. He was close, and knew she was, too. He thrusted his hips deeper, causing her to lose all control, along with her inhibitions. He followed, lifting her slightly off of him just in time to empty himself with his own orgasm. He settled her back in his lap, both of them completely exhausted, intoxicated by the alcohol and the moment they shared. She was breathing heavily into his mouth, and he smiled at her.

No verbal sentiments passing through them, they began to redress. It was a comfortable silence, they were both at a loss of words for what they just did. Neither regretted it, just surprised they went through with it. The alcohol began to turn in Dana's stomach, and she turned abruptly to throw up all contents.

"Well, that's a first." He said lightly as he rubbed her back to comfort her. When she finished, she wiped her mouth, and turned to face him, color rising to her cheeks.

"Oh god, I'm so embarrassed." She said as she buried her head in her hands. He chuckled, and reached out to move her hands away.

"Don't be, I've definitely outdone you once or twice in that regard. I just hope it wasn't that bad." He said jokingly, a hint of question in his voice.

"No, no. It was, really good." She said as a smirk touched her lips. "I don't normally do that, I've never done that with a complete stranger. I've only ever had one serious boyfriend, and well, you saw how that one worked out."

"Well, if it's any consolation, he's an idiot." He said genuinely. She smiled, relishing in this short lived moment. Realization hit, and her face fell.

"I, uh, you said you were just visiting for the summer, right?"

"Yeah, I'm heading back after the weekend actually. This was a nice sendoff." He said as he moved closer to her.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance. I should probably find my sister, if she even realizes that I'm gone." She scoffed in annoyance. "Thank you, for being so amazing, about everything tonight."

"No problem, I'll always remember this, remember you." He said, their mutual understanding met with their eyes. She nodded with a coy smile, loving this new secret to hold on to.

"I just realized, I don't even know your name." She said with an amused chuckle as she was walking back towards the crowd. He smiled sheepishly at her, bowing his head slightly.

"Maybe it's best that way, keeps the mystery alive." He said with a wink.

She shook her head, smile remaining on her face. She knew that she should have some doubts about the evening she just encountered, but there were none. She felt comfortable, like this was right. It almost broke her heart to walk away from him with nothing more than a thrilling memory.

The next morning Dana groaned at the incessant shaking, and rolled over, covering her face with the pillow.

"Dana, wake up. We need to talk." Missy said as she shook her sister harder.

"What do you want?" Dana hissed as she turned over on her back to slightly face her sister. She could feel the hangover begin to hit, and instantly regretted her sudden movement.

"Oh nothing, I just want to know about this mystery guy who's staying with Chris and won't stop talking about you apparently." She said in a teasing voice.

Dana's eyes widened in remembrance of her evening, color tinging her cheeks. She sat up in her bed, avoiding her sister's eyes, fidgeting with her blanket.

"Chris knows him?" She asked, more interested to find out more about the guy she drunkenly had sex on the beach with the night before.

"No, not really. He's one of Chris' roommate's friends visiting from out of town. But he hasn't stopped talking about you since last night."

"I didn't think he even knew my name."

"Oh, he doesn't. Chris said he described you, and enough details to put it all together. Come on, tell me what happened!" Missy exclaimed as she situated herself in the bed.

"There's nothing to tell, we talked, and drank, a lot. We...made out some, and then I came to find you." She said carefully, the knowing smirk touching her lips at the truth.

"Well then, it looks like my little sister is growing up after all." Missy said teasingly. Dana bit back the full grin threatening to escape on her face, knowing just how true that statement was.

She still felt completely intoxicated, more from her spontaneous actions than the alcohol she drank. She also found the thrill of not knowing who he was absolutely exhilarating. This was exactly what she needed to end her summer, and begin her new life in college. She felt refreshed and alive, more than she ever had before. She smiled to herself, loving this secret that she would always carry with her.

The end of summer had approached, and Dana was packed and ready to leave for school. She was excited about starting a new chapter in her life, carrying a new confidence about her. It was her last week home, and she spent it saying goodbye to friends and enjoying her time with her family.

She had caught a stomach bug in her last few days, and it wouldn't go away. She finally went to the doctor, just to be fully functioning before starting school.

"You're sure you don't want me to take you, honey?" Maggie, her mother asked sincerely.

"No, it's okay, mom. Missy is going to drive me, and then we were meeting up with some people." Dana said distractedly, trying to push down the nausea rising again.

"Okay, let me know what the doctor says, don't stay out too late if you're not feeling well." Maggie scolded.

Dana rolled her eyes, Missy calling her to let her know they were leaving just in time for her to escape another Maggie Scully lecture. As they arrived at the doctor, she could feel the unsettling of her stomach begin rapidly, and ran to the bathroom. She threw up everything she ate that morning, feeling lightheaded by the action. Just as she made her return, they called her back to a room.

"What brings you in today?" Doctor Harris asked as she came in to greet Dana.

"I've just been so sick lately, I'm moving in a few days, and I just want this to be over before then." Dana explained carefully, fighting back the new wave of nausea.

"Any other symptoms?"

"No, not that I can directly think of. I've been a little lightheaded sometimes, but I just figured that was from being sick."

"Any chance you could be pregnant?"

Dana opened her mouth to automatically answer in the negative, before flashes of her night on the beach began surging through her head. She paused, paling as her eyes grew wide. She licked her lips nervously, bowing her head, lost in her own thoughts.

"We just have to ask as a formality." The doctor said with an apologetic smile. "We'll run all the necessary tests and see what comes up. I'll send the nurse back in to take some blood." She said as she patted her knee gently.

Dana silently nodded, not completely focused on the room around her. She heard the door shut at the doctor's exit, and jumped as she was broken from her reverie.

"Dana..." Missy began to say cautiously. She could instantly see the fear in her sister's eyes, and knew there was something she was hiding.

"I - I don't know."

"You don't know if you've had sex recently?"

"I just - I don't know."

"Was it Marcus? I mean, you guys broke up only a little over a month ago, who knows how far along you could be."

"It's not him." Dana said in a shaky whisper. "That guy, at the beach, we did more than I said we did."

"Dana! My god, you're worse than I am!" Missy taunted.

"Would you shut up, you're not exactly helping the situation. What am I going to do? I'm leaving for college in a few days, this would completely change everything. I can't support a baby on my own, I don't even know-" She began to rant, stopping at the entrance of the nurse. She took the blood samples, and asked her to pee in a cup for the pregnancy test.

Dana and Missy sat in a nervous silence until the doctor came back into the room.

"Well, I have some news, and may have found the source of your sickness. You definitely are pregnant, just a few weeks, so it's still early. I can tell by your shocked expression you weren't expecting this news." The doctor said slowly. Dana shook her head in response, remaining silent.

"Right, well we can explore your options, I'll give you some time to let this settle in your mind. Call me if you have any other questions, and I'll refer to you an OBGYN for a follow up appointment." The doctor finished sympathetically.

She was only talking to the shell of a person. Dana felt empty, stomach turning even more with the newest revelation. She startled at the hand that touched her shoulder, the tears falling freely as she glanced up to catch her sister's gaze. Missy let her ride out her emotions, holding her close for comfort.

"What the hell am I going to do?" Dana said, racking back her sobs.

"We'll figure it out, Danes. You have an entire family to support you." Missy muttered the reassuring sentiments in her ear.

"How am I supposed to tell them their perfect daughter is pregnant?" Dana scoffed, composing herself again.

"Well, it helps me move up on the scale at least." Missy teased, hoping to lighten the mood. Dana chuckled, feeling relief that her family was here for her, at least until she tells the rest of them.

They made their way home, skipping the meet up with friends. Dana's nerves were rising as they approached their house, not knowing how to have this conversation with her mother. Her dad was out on assignment, and her older brother Bill had been stationed out of state, so she only had her mother to face. The two entered the quiet house and Dana was relieved to see that no one was home. She stopped in her stride at the sounds coming from the kitchen.

"Dana? You girls are home already, what happened to your friends?" Maggie asked genuinely.

Missy glanced down at her sister, and could see the tears stinging her eyes. She didn't know if she wanted to do this alone, or needed her by her side. Dana exhaled deeply, finally looking up to catch her sister's eyes. She nodded and grabbed Missy's hand, implying she needed her to stay.

"Mom, I need to talk to you." Dana said in a hushed voice. Maggie was instantly put on alert at the fearful demeanor of her youngest daughter, and tried to suppress her own feelings, keeping an open mind.

"What's wrong sweetie? Are you nervous about college? You're going to be great, there's nothing to worry about." She said sincerely as they settled themselves on the couch. Missy sat in the chair beside them, giving her enough space.

Maggie's questioning caused the tears to come streaming from Dana's eyes, knowing how much would change. She broke down and laid her head in her mother's lap, riding out her sobs. Maggie stroked her back for comfort, glancing up at Missy for any kind of answer. She muttered reassuring sentiments, trying to calm her.

"I'm pregnant." Dana said in a whisper. Maggie's hand paused, taking in the newest information.

"What?" Maggie asked in disbelief, hoping she heard her wrong.

"I'm pregnant, that's why I've been sick. Mom, I'm so terrified." She said as she sat up, composing her emotions.

"You're sure?"

"The doctor was pretty sure."

"How, who?" Maggie asked still trying to fit the pieces together. "Marcus?"

"No, not him. I -" Dana paused, already knowing the disappointment she was about to face. "I got extremely drunk at the bonfire we went to a few weeks ago. I met a guy, and things just happened."

"Did he take advantage of you?" Maggie asked pointedly. Dana's eyes widened at the question.

"No, Mom, no. He was just as drunk as I was. We were also both incredibly stupid." She groaned as she buried her head in her hands.

"Well have you told him? What do you both plan to do? You're supposed to be leaving in a few days."

"I - uh, I don't exactly know who he is. I mean, we talked all night, but I don't remember a lot, including his name. It was like both of our last moments of summer rebellion, we didn't make it anything serious."

"It's pretty serious now that there's a child involved."

"I know, I - I've been devising a plan in my head since I found out. Well, after I got over the whole shock of it."

"That's my girl, always making a plan. It'll be okay, you always have your family, we'll figure it out." She said as she cradled Dana's cheek gently.

"You're not mad?" She asked in disbelief. Her mother was a strict, Catholic mother, sitting here, supporting her unwed, pregnant, teenage daughter. This was not the response she was expecting.

"I'm a little surprised, but I'm always going to support you, honey." Maggie said sincerely. Dana smiled and nodded, excusing herself to her room.

As she made her way upstairs, she could hear Missy following her, and didn't know if she wanted to deal with anyone right now.

"I can't believe you got knocked up, threatening you're entire future, and I'm still the screw up in the family." Missy teased as she plopped herself on the bed.

"Missy, I have a lot of things to figure out, and I just want to be alone right now." Dana said exhaustedly. Missy nodded, taking the hint.

Several hours had passed, and she thought she had devised the perfect plan. She had already made several calls, hoping that everything would work out as she had set out in her mind. The only thing holding her back from fully feeling content with her plan, was the fact that he would never know. She closed her eyes in sorrow, feeling her stomach turn at the thought. She placed her hand over her stomach for comfort, and smiled at the thought of the baby growing inside of her.

"I think it's too early to feel anything, Danes." Missy teased as she entered the room with snacks. "You've been holed up in here long enough, Mom sent me with refreshments."

"Thanks." She said in a small voice.

"I, uh, also called Chris. I just wanted to see how much I was able to find out from him about your mystery guy. He didn't know much, he said that he was a friend of a friend of his roommate, and he didn't have a number for him. He asked the guys, but he apparently lives out of the country, and they don't have a number for his friend either."

"I'm having flashes of memory from that night. It's funny, when we were talking, I feel like we talked about everything, and nothing at the same time. I didn't even know his name, and when I brought that up, he said it just keeps the mystery alive." She said as a small smirk touched her lips. Missy watched her sister's mood change at the mention of this guy, amused by her attitude.

"Well it's a shame you didn't know more, by the look on your face, I'd say he was good for you."

"I - uh, we just hit it off quickly. Obviously, a little too quickly." She scoffed. "It pains me the most that he'll never know." She said in a small voice as the tears threatened her eyes again.

"So what's the brilliant plan, perfect sister?" Missy said as she scooted closer to pull her into a side hug.

"I don't think they'll let me transfer schools, considering classes resume next week. I might have to take a semester off, and apply for the Spring courses. I've called the administration offices for my school, and the universities here. If anything, I'll have to delay a year. But if I stay here, Mom can help, and it'll be an easier transition." She said confidently.

"I'm here, too. We're going to do this together." Missy said in reassurance.

For the first time since she left the doctor, she felt content with this new surprise. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but with the help of her family, and the strong willed mentality she's always prided herself in, she would make it out of this just fine.

"Miss Scully, I was definitely surprised to hear about your reconsideration for our pre-med program here." Mrs. Romero said excitedly. Dana had met with her when she was exploring her options of schools, more so for her family who didn't want her to be so far away.

"I've had some recent developments that are keeping me closer to home. I understand that it's obviously last minute, and there's no way I'd be able to enroll for the fall semester. I was hoping to begin classes next year, in spring if that's not asking too much." She said in a small voice.

"I am curious, what brings you to stay home? You were so desperate and determined to leave the last time we spoke."

"I know, and trust me, without this new...development, I still would be. I -" She let out a deep breath, not wanting to disclose this information, worrying it would affect her admittance. "I'm pregnant. I just found out. I'm staying close to home, so that I have some extra assistance, and can still go to school."

"Well, that's definitely not what I was expecting, but I admire your strength. I have the authority to make a late admittance up until the first day of school, so I can pull some strings to get you started on classes as of next week, since you've technically already been accepted. Classes have already been chosen, so you're going to have last pick, you might have to talk to the professors, see if they'll let you in. I'm willing to take this chance on you, because I know you're willing to work for it." Mrs. Romero said with a gleam in her eyes.

"I am, thank you. You don't know how relieved I am, this solves at least one of my problems." She said with a light scoff.

"You're going to do just fine, you're strong. Stronger than I was when I got pregnant in college. I'll get your admissions packet ready, and leave you to speak with the professors, maybe before classes start." She said with a wink.

Scully left the office, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She knew this was going to be difficult, but she now knew that she had more support than she originally anticipated, and wouldn't have to do this alone. As grateful as she was, there was one person that she wished was here to share this with her.

She was lost in her thoughts as she strolled through campus, getting to know her surroundings. She was startled when she heard someone calling her name from behind, wincing as the recognizable voice neared.

"Dana, what are you doing here?" Marcus asked cautiously as he approached.

"Marcus, I - uh, I just enrolled. I had a last minute change of plans." She said carefully, completely forgetting he would be joining her here this semester.

"Oh, is everything okay? You were so set to move away."

"Everything's fine. I -" She let out a heavy sigh, knowing he would never drop this. "I suppose I should tell you before you hear from someone else, or see it for yourself eventually. I'm pregnant. It's still early, so I had to make some last minute adjustments to remain closer to my family." She said with confidence in her voice.

"Preg - how far along are you? Is it -" His voice cut off from his stammering. She realized the question he was asking, and her eyes widened.

"No - no. It's not yours. I'm only a few weeks."

"Dana, look I know I screwed this up between us, but I want to be there for you. Anything you need, I'm here." He said sincerely. She caught his gaze and could see the fear running through his eyes. Perhaps it was her wild night she spent on the beach with a complete stranger, but she felt nothing for Marcus that she felt before. She just nodded silently, flashing him a small smile and excused herself to finish her tasks.

When she returned home, she was exhausted. She plopped herself on the couch lazily, and threw her head back on the cushions.

"I'd ask how your day went, but from the looks of it, maybe not that great?" Maggie asked cautiously as she came in from the kitchen.

"No, actually it was great. They're letting me enroll this semester, so I had to go talk up the professors to ask them to let me join their classes last minute. A few of them said yes, one said if I come to class every day the first week then he will, and the other said if I survive the first 2 weeks he'll guarantee my spot. I'm just exhausted from the long day I guess." She said in a small voice.

"I knew you could do it, Dana. I never doubted your ability to overcome this obstacle, too." Maggie said as she settled herself beside her daughter on the couch. "We do need to talk about something else. Your father comes home in a few days. I spoke with him yesterday, but I haven't told him anything. I think it's something you need to tell him yourself."

"Mom, he's going to be so disappointed in me. His little girl getting drunkenly knocked up by some stranger at a beach party." She scoffed.

"Okay, well maybe let's not phrase it like that. Honey, he's going to feel exactly like I did. I was surprised, and I think shocked more than anything, but we could never be disappointed in you. You found a way to stay on track for the plan you set out for yourself, even when a new obstacle was thrown in your path. I'll be with you, try to ease the blow a little."

"Thank you, I'm so tired, I think I'm going to lay down for a bit." She said as she escaped upstairs to her room to be by herself with her own emotions.

She laid in bed, and finally let everything she had been suppressing come to surface. She thought about the challenges she would face, and ridicule for being the pregnant freshman walking around campus. She pondered over the difficulties she would have to endure as a young, single mom. Only hoping to provide the best for her child. The only comfort she found in this entire situation, was that this baby growing inside of her was part of both of them. She didn't know, or remember much about him, but she knew that he was sincere, and gentle in nature. She smiled to herself through the tears, confident that everything would turn out just as it was supposed to.

FALL 1993  
WASHINGTON, D.C.

"Holly, hurry up! You're going to be late for your first day of school." Dana yelled from the kitchen as she began to gather their things.

"Why are you yelling, I'm right here." She said with a mischievous look in her eyes. Dana playfully glared at her.

"Well you weren't there when I yelled. Are you ready?"

"Yes, mother. I am fully prepared to face the big bad 5th grade class." Holly said sarcastically. She was still upset that they moved here over summer, away from her friends.

"Honey, I know you're still mad at me, and only talking to me because I feed you, but I really think this will be a nice change for us. This is a great opportunity for me, for both of us." She said sincerely towards her 10-year-old daughter pouting before her.

"I know, I've heard the spiel several times before. We should really get going though, we wouldn't want to be late for our first day of school, Mom." She said sarcastically as she grabbed her backpack and made her way out of the door.

Dana huffed and shook her head at her charismatic child. She knew that Holly was completely her in every way, but sometimes she wondered just how much of her father shined through her. It still pained her every day to think that she would never know.

"So, what is it exactly that you're doing here? I just need a cool story so I'm not the weird new kid." Holly said as they drove to her school.

"Oh, she's talking to me again!" Dana teased. "I'm was recruited by the FBI to be their lead pathologist. I'll be assisting on any active cases, which I was just told I have as soon as I get in."

"So like, you're going to be cutting up any dead body they send your way?"

"Well gee, you make it sound so exciting. You might want to work on your hype for that cool kid exterior you plan on maintaining."

"Whatever, are you going to have access to secret files? Do you even know how many conspiracies are being hidden by the FBI?" Holly asked pointedly. Dana rolled her eyes, and raised her eyebrow as she glanced over at her daughter.

"You really need to stop watching TV, it's not good for you. Alright, we're here. Play nice. I don't have time to pick you up in the middle of the day from the principal's office, I'll be working on the random body they send me in the lab." She said mockingly.

"I make no promises." Holly said with a sheepish grin. Dana shook her head at the familiar look and parted ways with her daughter, making her way to the Hoover Building for a briefing.

When she arrived, she could feel her nerves rising, doubt clouding her mind about if she made the right choice. She knew she needed to get away from the mess of her life that she created back home, and this was the perfect opportunity. She situated herself in the back of the room, somewhat attempting to maintain a low profile.

"You're in my spot." A voice startled her as they spoke closely in her ear. She looked back to see the source of the sound, and was met with warm hazel eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't know they were assigned." She said shyly.

"I'm messing with you, I just usually like to hide out in the back of the room so I don't get called on." He teased. She chuckled at his humor, feeling herself relax in her new surroundings.

"Well, I guess we can hide out back here together then." She said, matching his humor.

"Sounds like a plan." He grinned at her. "It's nice to meet you...?" He said with a question in his voice.

"Dana Scully, Lead Pathologist." She said as she extended her hand. He took it in meeting, and she could see the mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Fox Mulder, Special Agent in Charge. I'll try not to call on you too much." He said with a wink as he made his way to the front of the conference room to begin his briefing. She bit back the smirk touching her lips, knowing this was definitely the right move.


	2. Chapter 2

Dana made her way down to the morgue after the briefing to begin the autopsy on the latest victim. The case involved people whose skin was slowly deteriorating, but that wasn't the most interesting part. According to witnesses, right before the victims dropped dead from an intense seizure, they were attempting to feed off of people in the community.

"Zombies. That's my best guess." Agent Mulder said as he approached her. She jumped at his voice, lost in her own thoughts while reading the reports.

"They put you in charge, and your best guess is zombies?" She asked with a raise of the eyebrow.

"Oh come on, it's classic zombie signs. Skin melting away, feeding off live flesh."

"You're missing the fact that zombies are generally dead, while all these people died after said zombie symptoms took effect." She teased back.

"So you believe in zombies?" He said as he wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Logically, I would have to say no. It's just not plausible."

"Not even with the evidence right in front of you?" He said as he stepped into her personal space. Her breath caught in her throat before he pulled back the sheet covering the latest victim.

"Jesus, there's no sign about what he was exposed to?" She asked as she first glanced upon the deteriorating corpse lying on the table. She began skimming through the notes for any answers.

"No, and they've tested for everything. There's no trace of chemical exposure, internal poisoning, nothing. We're at a complete standstill in the case, and this is our fifth victim."

"During the briefing you said that there were no commonalities?"

"Yeah, they're all from different areas, and their families said they hadn't been to any of the other locations where the previous victims were from."

"Well let me take a look and see if I can find anything different than what's in the reports already." She said with a small smile.

"This is your first case, right?"

"Doubting my abilities?"

"No, far from it. I was impressed with your file, just moved here, right?"

"Was all of that in my file, or did you do your own personal search as well?" She asked with a challenge in her voice.

"Okay, guilty. I heard about the brilliant pathologist we had recruited, and my fascination got the best of me. Let me know if you need help adjusting, I can show you around." He leered at her. A small smirk touched her lips, and she moved away from his close proximity.

"Thanks for the offer, I might take you up on it." She said as she licked her lips nervously and feigned being busy with the newest victim. He chuckled in amusement and left her to her work.

After she was done for the day, she made her way to pick up Holly from school. She was exhausted, since it had been her first day on an active case, and didn't feel like arguing with her stubborn child.

"Hey, how was your first day?" She asked cautiously, gaging her mood.

"It was fine." Holly said shortly. Dana huffed at the familiar remark.

"Is that all I'm going to get out of you, because I don't have the energy to try for more to keep coming up empty."

"Hated your first day? Good, let's move back home."

"I didn't say that, and we're not moving back. I actually enjoyed my first day, the agents were very welcoming." She said biting back the smirk threatening to escape. Holly caught the twitch of her lips, and was instantly amused.

"Oh my god, you met someone at work." Holly said as she turned in her seat excitedly.

"I met several people today. So what are you in the mood for for dinner?" Dana said changing the subject quickly.

"And you complain when I avoid talking about something. Gee, I wonder who I got it from." Holly teased.

"You're too smart for your own good. I know you still hate me, but I really do think this will be a good change for us." She said as she reached out to play with her daughter's unruly, curly hair for comfort. They both enjoyed the comfortable silence for the rest of the ride home.

After they ate, Holly was doing homework while Scully settled herself on the couch to finish reading through the reports of the case. They did well, just the two of them, and always found ways to adjust to anything new that came their way. Holly excused herself to shower before settling for the evening, leaving Dana alone with her thoughts.

At first, she felt guilty, dragging her daughter away from her friends, across the country to settle into a new life. It was discussed that she had the option to stay with her grandparents, but that just wasn't going to happen, not in Dana's eyes. The reason for the escape was a little more complex. She had found herself involved with a married doctor while she was doing her residency. He became controlling, and overbearing, and she was becoming fearful of their poisoning relationship. She had always been independent, even with the help of her family, raising Holly. There was never a time where she didn't do what was best for her and her daughter, and when the opportunity arose with the FBI, she found the perfect escape. She was broken from her wandering mind by the sound of the phone ringing.

"Hello?" Dana answered distractedly.

"Hey, it's me, Mulder. We've had another victim, will you be able to come in and do the autopsy tonight? We're hoping to speed things up a little."

"Oh, uh, I can't come in tonight, I -" She let out a heavy sigh. She knew there would be adjustments to make when she moved here on her own. When she was recruited, she negotiated that she work regular hours to still be able to pick up Holly after school, with the acceptance of helping on active cases with enough notice. Her parents were planning to move to the area after her dad retired at the end of the year, but until then she was on her own.

"I'll be there. It shouldn't take me too long to do the autopsy." She said with a heavy sigh.

"Great, we'll see you shortly." He said as he disconnected the call.

Holly came from the bathroom to see the apologetic look on her mother's face. She already knew what that meant.

"I'll get changed, but you owe me dessert." She said as her shoulders slumped and she made her way into the room. Dana chuckled, reveling in their relationship. Holly had spent many nights in the doctor's lounges as Dana did rounds, she knew the routine.

They made their way to the Hoover Building, and Holly was more excited than she let on. She was fascinated by the docudramas about government conspiracies, and finally was getting a look on the inside. Dana knew she was excited, and bit back her amusement, knowing she wasn't totally failing as a parent.

"Alright, I'm going to stick you in the small office that's attached the morgue so I can keep an eye on you. Stay out of trouble, and don't talk to strangers." She said as she pecked the top of her daughter's head.

Dana began the autopsy on the victim, body prepped and ready for her examination before she got there. This one was worse than the last, the flesh deteriorating before her eyes. She was so engrossed in her work, she didn't notice Mulder sneak into the office.

"You're a little younger than our normal lab techs." He teased at the sight of Holly.

"I'm very advanced for my age, does that intimidate you?" She said with a challenge in her voice. He chuckled at the familiar banter, it was the same he encountered with her mother earlier in the day. There was no mistake that the girl before him was Dr. Scully's daughter. Other than the hazel eyes and the brownish, red hair, everything about her was her mother.

"It only peaks my interest as to what a brilliant person, like yourself, is doing working for the FBI."

"Well, I've got an interest in the conspiracies this place is covering up." She said quietly as she leaned forward. He matched her motion, playfully engaging in their conversation.

"I might be able to help you out with that." He whispered even lower. Both were broken from their discussion at the sound of Dana chuckling, standing in the entrance. She had heard voices, and made her way over to the small office to see the source of it. She caught the end of their conversation, and couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

"I thought I told you not to talk to strangers." She said, playfully glaring at her daughter.

"Technically, he started talking to me. It would be rude to not respond, mother." She said sarcastically. He chuckled and she diverted her glare towards him.

"Okay, you two are done talking. I might have found something." She said directing her attention more towards Mulder.

"Great, let's take a look." He said standing. "We'll talk later." He said as he turned to direct his words towards Holly. She nodded and resumed her reading, Scully shaking her head at the interaction.

"There's something different bout the deterioration of this victim's skin. It's much more rapid than the others. Where was this body found?"

"At a camping site. Apparently it was their first day there, and he had gone off to find more wood for the fire. His wife woke up to him moaning in pain, before noticing his appearance. She said he seemed completely wild, and his skin looked like it had burns on it. She was scared, so she grabbed the kids and took off in their truck, leaving him behind."

"Talk about for better or for worse. How long between when they left him to when he was found was he out in the woods?"

"Well, his wife called local police to find her husband and explained the situation. She was worried for him, and wanted to make sure he was safe. That was yesterday. They just found him tonight, in a random part of the woods a few miles from the campsite."

"Wasn't one of the other victims at a campsite recently?" Dana said as the connection popped into her head.

"Uh, yeah, actually. The second victim's friend said that they had just come back from a camping trip before they went all zombie."

"Still maintaining a zombie theory?"

"It's not a theory, it's an educated guess based on the evidence presented in front of me." He said gesturing to the body on the table.

"This person is not a zombie."

"What's your daughter's name?" He asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

"Holly, why?"

"Holly! Are zombies real?" He yelled towards the office. Dana crossed her arms, eyebrow arching in amusement, waiting for her answer.

"Obviously, but don't ask mom. She thinks they're just some Hollywood made up phenomena." She shouted poking her head out from the office. Dana huffed, getting back to her work.

"It's two against one, you lose this one, Scully." He teased.

"I'm still not conceding until there's definitive proof that this corpse is an actual zombie, and not suffering from exposure of some kind." She said pointedly.

"I can accept that, but prepare to be amazed." He leered at her, stepping into her personal space. Her lips twitched, hiding back the smirk touching her mouth. "I was wondering if you'd let me show you around, since you're pretty much done here, and it's not too late."

"I'd love to accept, but I have a little attachment that needs supervision."

"Well, I was planning to take you both out for dessert. My favorite ice cream place is around the corner, it'll be a quick trip and you can still have the mini me in bed at a decent time." He said, planning everything out already. She smiled, opening her mouth to respond before being startled by the clearing of a throat coming from the office. She realized how close they were standing, and stepped back, away from their stance.

"We accept." Holly said as she stood there with an amused look bestowed upon her face, eyes gleaming. Scully widened her eyes at her daughter, warning her to behave.

"Great, I'm going to steal the spawn, show her where all the good secrets of the building are while you get cleaned up. I'll meet you by the main elevators?" He said as he walked towards Holly.

"Fine, Holly, you're in charge." Scully teased before they made their way to the main floor. She smiled to herself as she wrapped everything up, enjoying that there are still decent men in the world. She scoffed at the thought, knowing she was jumping way ahead, but feeling comfortable with him. There was something about him that made her feel an instant connection, something that she's only really felt one time before. She shook herself from her thoughts, joining them for their outing.

After a pleasant evening, Scully and Holly made their way back home in a comfortable silence. Both lost in their own thoughts about the impromptu date. As they were entering the small apartment, Holly finally broke the silence.

"So...was he the guy who you avoided talking about earlier?" Holly asked teasingly.

"He's one of the people I met earlier today, yes. I don't know what you're getting at."

"You know, if you wanted to date someone, I wouldn't mind if it was him. That's all I'm saying." She said in a small voice. She turned on her heel, making a brisk escape to her room. "Good night!"

Scully stood there, completely shocked by what her daughter just told her. She had dated several people before, but never one she deemed suitable to introduce to her daughter. This was really the first time any guy had been around them both, but she didn't exactly have a way to avoid it from happening. When she was with Daniel, their entire relationship was so secretive, that she didn't even tell him about her until he came storming to her house one evening in a jealous rage. She smiled to herself at the ease of the evening she just enjoyed, letting her mind wander to the possibilities.

The next morning, Scully made her way back to work. They had all been called in for a morning briefing, given the new developments in the case. Mulder was already situated at the front of the room, awaiting everyone's arrival. He smiled coyly when he caught her gaze, and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the room.

"As I'm sure most of you have already heard, we found a new victim last night. Thanks to Dr. Scully, we might have made a connection. So far, there's been two victims who recently visited a campsite. We are still trying to contact the friend of the other victim to verify which site they were at. I'm sending a few of you out to the friends and family of the other victims, see if you can connect them to a campsite as well. You're all dismissed." He said as he began to hand out the information and separate the agents for their field assignments. Scully lingered around a little longer, waiting for the room to clear.

"I, uh, just wanted to see if you needed anything specific from me today. I was going to look over the other victims, and see if there's anything else I can find. I'm waiting for some lab results as well, I had a hunch, so I sent some samples in." She said as she bowed her head, licking her lips nervously. She had never felt this awkward around someone before, but she didn't know what implications the impromptu 'date' meant for them.

"Sounds good, let me know if anything comes up." He said as he nudged her arm with hand. "I also had a nice time last night, if you had any doubts in your mind."

She let the smirk touch her lips, reveling in how easily he was able to read her. Normally, the thought would unnerve her, but with him, it was almost comforting. She smiled and nodded, making her escape down to the morgue.

The day was catching up with her, and the exhaustion of being on her feet all day was starting to take effect. She finished the last examination and plopped herself in the chair in the office, rolling her ankles and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Long day?" A voice from the door startled her.

"Jesus, you scared me, Mulder." She said as she composed herself again. He chuckled in amusement, taking the seat across from her desk.

"Sorry, I was coming to check and see if there was anything new."

"No, I got the lab reports back, but whatever they're being exposed to, isn't directly chemical. There's an unknown compound that completely destroyed their insides, but I can't detect what it is." She sighed frustratingly.

"Well, I've got some good news that'll hopefully help. One of the other victims apparently visited a campsite in the same vicinity as our most recent victim. We still haven't heard back from the friend of the other, but we've found a stronger connection at least."

"That's great, so now what?"

"Now, I was coming to see if you'd like to join me for a camping trip." He said as he wagged his eyebrows at her. She chuckled at his playfulness.

"Well, I would love to, but you seem to be forgetting about the offspring that needs just as much supervision as you do." She said jokingly.

"Oh no, I do remember, quite well actually. I think I'm still recovering from the 100 questions she asked me last night. She should really consider going into law enforcement, or perhaps become a lawyer."

"Sorry, she's a little ambitious, and very strong-willed. I don't know where she gets it from."

"I haven't a clue." He teased back. "I was thinking more of tomorrow morning, we can spend the day getting samples from the campsite, see if there's anything that's been missed."

"Wouldn't we be risking ourselves to exposure?"

"Not exactly, the victims' family and friends have all said that they wandered away from the main area, so we will be just fine. But, to get the most accurate collection of evidence, we are going to have to explore a bit. Dress in your best hazmat suit, Scully. I'll see you tomorrow." He said with a wink as he strolled out of her office.

The next morning, Scully made her way to work, fully prepared for her first real field assignment. She caught a glimpse of Mulder rummaging through papers in the conference room, and leaned against the doorframe, enjoying watching him in this candid moment.

"Ready for our camping trip?" He teased as he glanced up to see her standing there.

"That I am, although I may need to borrow a hazmat suit." She said with a light chuckle.

"Well consider yourself lucky, I have my fair assortment of the finest." He teased as he began gathering his things. She chuckled, following him out of the room.

They made their way to the nearby campsite, making casual conversation on the way there. She enjoyed his company, and found it surprisingly easily to talk to him.

"So what brought you out here in the first place? From what I read in your file, you recently transferred just before this case." He asked with genuine interest as he popped a few sunflower seeds in his mouth.

"I think I was just ready for a change. There were some things I guess I was running from in San Diego, and this was the perfect opportunity." She said with a small shrug.

"This may be a little forward, but what about Holly's dad?"

"It's always just been me and her. That's a story I don't talk about much."

"Long story?"

"No, not really. Just - something of my past."

"Understood. Looks like we're here." He said as he glanced around their surroundings. The campsite had been blocked off as a precaution, until they could find more information.

"It looks almost eerie with no one around." She said as she hopped out of the truck.

They helped each other into the hazmat suits, securing every inch, leaving no room for error. They agreed to split up, covering more ground in search for any type of clue they could find. When they both met up at the main site again, they began changing out of the hazmat suits, and Scully glanced over to notice that there was a small hole on the front leg of Mulder's.

"Did you cut yourself?" She asked as she bean examining his leg.

"I got caught on a branch a while back. Did you find anything?"

"No, nothing out the ordinary, how about you?"

"I stumbled upon an old well, but nothing that brought any kind of suspicion."

"Okay, well let's get our samples back to the lab and see if there's anything that stands out. I'm ready for this zombie theory to be over." She said with a side glance as a smirk touched her lips. She noticed that he subconsciously began to scratch his leg where the hole in his suit was. "When did you cut yourself?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. It's cool, Scully, if I turn into a zombie, I promise I won't feed off of you."

"As encouraging as that sentiment is, I want to check this out when we get back and make sure you weren't exposed to anything."

"I'm fine, Scully." He said as she shot him her familiar look, eyebrow arched. "Okay, okay. If that's what will make you happy."

When they arrived back at the lab, she checked her watch and knew she would be cutting it close to picking up Holly from school, but this was important.

"Drop your pants." She said pointedly as she began putting on her gloves to examine his thigh.

"Oh Scully, you could have asked nicely, but I kind of like the aggression." He teased as he wagged his eyebrows at her. She shook her head at him, biting back the smirk touching her lips.

As she began examining his leg, she could see a small burn beginning to form. She swabbed the area, maintaining a closeness to him. He grinned at their close proximity, knowing she had fully slipped in to her Dr. Scully persona, and had no idea that her face was that close to his crotch. He couldn't hold back his amusement anymore.

"Enjoying the view?" Color tinged her cheeks and her eyes widened at the realization. She quickly retracted from where she was standing, and wet her lips nervously.

"You, uh, should stay here until I can put a rush order on the lab reports. I'm quarantining you for now."

"Can I at least put my pants back on?"

"No, actually, I need to monitor if it's spreading. I have to leave for a bit to pick up Holly, I can pick up a pair of shorts for you from home, if you're comfortable with that." She said in a small voice. He smiled at her nervousness and reached into his wallet to hand her a single key.

"No judgements though. There's a pair of basketball shorts that might be hanging on the end of my couch, or at least in that general vicinity." He said as he gave her the address. She nodded and made her exit, leaving him alone with maddening silence.

"Hey, how was school?" She asked as Holly got in the car.

"Is this going to be a question you ask every day? Because it's generally going to be the same answer."

"Well then I guess I'll be surprised when the answer changes."

"Where are we going? This isn't the way home." Holly asked puzzled as she glanced around at her surroundings.

"I have to stop at Mulder's place to pick up a few things, then we have to head back to the Hoover Building."

"Why? What happened to him?"

"He's been quarantined after our little camping excursion. I just need to make sure whatever burn is on his leg isn't too serious."

"Like, he could turn into a zombie serious?" Holly asked excitedly.

"Zombies are not real, I don't know how many times I have to explain it to both of you." She said as she parked in front of an unfamiliar building.

They both got out and made their way to apartment 42, amusement rising in Holly's eyes as Scully pulled out a key to open the door. They made their way inside, and took in the bachelor pad surroundings. Scully walked over to the couch and grabbed the basketball shorts, before her eye caught something colorful shoved between the cushions. She leaned in further, and could see the makings of a bra. Her stomach turned, and she was confused by the emotions running through her mind. She knew that he was flirtatious by nature, but thought that his extra attention towards her, and especially Holly, implied something different. Something more. She shook herself from her thoughts, gathering Holly and making their way back to work.

The car ride was silent, and Holly could immediately sense that something was off about her mother. There was a shift in mood as soon as they left Mulder's, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was. Scully's thought were bouncing sporadically in her mind, feeling foolish for reading the signs all wrong. She didn't want to jeopardize their newfound friendship, so she would continue to act as if nothing was wrong. She told herself she'd rather have him around, than not at all.

"So, if he's being quarantined, do I have to wait somewhere else?"

"No, all of the other victims' friends and families were around them after they were exposed to whatever caused the symptoms, so you'll be fine. As long as there's no direct, physical contact, I don't foresee a zombie future for you."

"Shame, I was really looking forward to it." Holly said sarcastically as she plopped herself in the office. "Isn't he supposed to actually stay in the lab for the quarantine?" She asked as she glanced past Scully into the empty lab.

Scully furrowed her brow and walked cautiously into the lab, becoming frustrated that he couldn't follow simple instructions. She heard moaning coming from one of the supply closets and crept up to open it slowly. The anxiety rising with the suspense of the situation as she placed her shaky hand on the doorknob. Just as she was beginning to open the door, it flew open and Mulder jumped out.

"Jesus, Mulder! That's not funny!" She said composing her breathing. He huffed out a laugh at her startled appearance, a matching giggle coming from behind her. "Don't you dare laugh if you want to live to see 11."

"That was fantastic, the look on your face was priceless!" Holly squealed with amusement.

"At least she thinks I'm funny." Mulder leered towards Scully. She shook her head at him, shoving the basketball shorts in his chest.

"She may be your only fan. Put those on, I need to examine your leg." She said as she attempted to hide the smirk on her lips.

He changed and hopped up on the table as she put her gloves on. She became worried when she noticed that the burn on his leg was spreading. He could read the expression on her face, and the curiosity began to cloud his thoughts.

"Something I should be worried about, Doc?"

"I don't know, it's spreading, and I don't like the looks of it. Let me check my office and see if I received the results, I want to get this cleared up." She said with a sincere smile.

"These results? Hmm, looks like it's a zombie future for you." Holly said holding the paper in her hand. Scully rolled her eyes, and went to retrieve the fax from her daughter's hands.

"You, should be doing your homework and stop eavesdropping on other people's conversations."

"Why? So you can talk to your boyfriend in private?"

"He's not - office, now. Behave." She hissed under her breath, trying to mask the color rising to her cheeks. She read over the results as she walked back towards him, avoiding his gaze.

"Boyfriend, huh?" He teased.

"Same rule applies to you, stop eavesdropping on other people's conversations." She said as she playfully swatted at him, avoiding the question. "I still can't detect what specific compound is causing the exposure, but the sample from your leg matches that of our latest victim. I need to get you to the hospital right away to pump you with fluids and antibiotics. This isn't organic, so I'm hoping that will stall whatever this is."

"We'll have to send a team to my area of the campsite, let them know that's the exposed area." He asked trying to mask the worry in his voice.

"I can handle that, you need to get to the hospital. Did you touch anything while you were out there?" She asked as she started to gather her things.

"No, I remember getting caught on the branch, then continuing to explore the area. I found the well and leaned in to look at it, but it was empty from what I can see. I found some funny looking trees, a small stream of water, and -"

"Wait, the well. That's the only difference from the areas we explored. If you leaned on it with the hole in your hazmat suit, that could be what's effected, causing the exposure. I'm going to send the team with one of my lab assistants out to the area. We'll figure this out before you go full zombie." She said reassuringly.

"So you think he is turning into a zombie?" Holly asked as she poked her head out of the office.

"Eavesdropping!"

"But I finished my homework, and didn't have anything better to do." She said with a shrug. Scully rolled her eyes and huffed at her frustrating child.

"Well lucky for you, now we get to make an exciting trip to the hospital."

"Mom, I thought we were done with the whole hospital thing." Holly moaned.

"Old habits die hard, get your things." She said sternly, leaving no room for argument. She turned her attention back to Mulder, and glared at the grin on his face. "And you, change into scrubs, I will not have you zombifying my car."

They made their way to the hospital, Holly and Mulder engaging in an exhilarating conversation about life on other planets. Scully listened silently, enjoying the bond they were creating. It stung at her heart to know that they would hardly see each other after this case was over.

When they arrived to the hospital, she used the FBI credentials to get him in sooner. She explained the situation, leaving out specific details that might cause mass panic. He was assigned a single room, so no other patients could share.

"Alright, I'm putting you on a medication cocktail, hopefully stopping whatever you managed to get yourself infected with." She teased.

"I was wondering what brought you in here myself." A voice startled them both as it entered the room.

"Murphy, I should have known you'd be making a personal visit soon. I'm touched, really." Mulder said teasingly.

"Well it's part of the perks when you're a frequent flyer. I see you've found yourself a lovely new personal doctor, I'm hurt by the replacement, but I can definitely see why there was a change." Murphy said with a sly smirk.

"This is Dana Scully, she's the Lead Pathologist who just joined our recent case. She also happens to be the warden keeping me confined to this bed."

"Ah, but she's having much better luck than I ever have. You'll have to teach me your methods. David Murphy, it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too. I take it he's usually your headache?" She said teasingly. Mulder playfully glared at her, and she flashed him an amused smirk.

"Unfortunately, it's a welcoming break. So what's the verdict?"

"Well, he seems to think he's slowly turning into a zombie, however I'm arguing in favor of exposure while searching for evidence on a case."

"Oh, definitely zombie. We've already discussed this." Holly said as she made her way in from the cafeteria.

"Lab assistant?" Murphy asked lightheartedly.

"My other headache." Scully said jokingly. "If you don't mind, I'm going to leave him here under your supervision. I'm waiting for some results to come back from the team that we sent out, so I'll be back as soon as I hear from them."

"You're leaving?" Mulder asked quickly in response.

"Don't worry, I know I'm not as cute, but I have a lovely bedside manner." Murphy teased, causing Scully to chuckle in response.

"It's back to school night, so we have to be heading out. We'll be back to check on you on the way home."

"No guarantees I won't be a zombie by the time you get back, Murphy might let it happen just for entertainment purposes."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." She said flat toned.

They made their way through a majority of the night uneventfully, until Scully's phone went off during the teacher talking. Holly shot her a look, and she flashed her an apologetic smile, making her escape to the hallway.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Scully, we have the results from the lab. We tested the contents of the well, and it seems it's connected to a nearby government facility. There's high amounts of radiation being emitted, and we've quarantined the entire area, as well as where the other pipelines lead. We think that those exposed could have been cured if we caught it in time, so we are sending out a notice as a warning."

"Great, that's great. Just make sure that there's specific instructions for them to be treated if they've been in contact with any of the areas in the past few days. It takes about 24 hours for the full effects to kick in." She said in a low voice, not wanting to disrupt the classes further.

When she finished her call, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. She knew for sure, with the proper treatment, that Mulder would be just fine. He was slowly becoming an important person in her life, in Holly's life, and she wasn't ready for that to completely go away. She knew with the case pretty much closed, they wouldn't be working so closely together anymore, and that stabbed at her heart.

After back to school night, they made their way back to the hospital, contraband ice cream in tow. Holly remembered his favorite flavor, and insisted that they bring him some. Scully finally conceded, knowing he would love the thought.

"I'm not a zombie, yet." He said as they made their way into his room. Holly came bouncing in, situating herself in the seat next to his bed, handing him the cup of ice cream. "Oh, my hero!"

"This one thought you could use a treat, for the whole non zombie thing." Scully teased. She moved over the fold back the blankets back and check the burn on his leg. "The medication is helping, it's decreasing. Did the other agents call you?"

"Yeah, they let me know the good news. I was actually looking forward to becoming a mindless zombie, feeding off the living. Ice cream is a good substitute though." He said as he winked towards Holly.

"Well I'd say one more night here and you'll be good as new. I'll make sure your prescriptions are filled, you'll have to keep them up for at least a week. I just wanted to come check on you, but we'll be getting out of your hair now."

"You don't have to, I love the company, and it's been nice having someone take care of me." He said with an alluring gleam in his eye.

"We can come back tomorrow when you're released, and take you home. Oh! I still have your key." She said distractedly as she went in search of her key ring.

"Keep it. It's reassuring to know if I call in distress, someone has a key to my place to come save me." He teased. She smirked, shaking her head at him.

The next day they came back after she picked Holly up from school. Scully noticed the excited attitude shift in her daughter at the mention of visiting him again, she was just weary about her becoming too attached.

"Finally, I was getting ready to release him to the hounds." Murphy said teasingly as they came into his room.

"Ah, I see he's been on his best behavior then."

"Whatever, he's your problem now. Mulder, I'll see you the next time you find yourself in some kind of trouble, I'm sure. Always a pleasure." He said as he left them to be alone.

Holly greeted him, then made her way to the cafeteria for a snack, leaving Scully and Mulder alone. She smiled sheepishly at him, and he was amused by her nervousness.

"So, they tell me I can leave whenever I'd like, which is probably good considering I was ready to just break out." He said, trying to ease the mood.

"We'll drop you off at home, I'm sure you're happy for the case to be over."

"I am, but I'll miss bothering you in the lab as much as I had the pleasure to recently."

"It's always welcome. Plus, I'm sure we'll have other cases together, I am at the FBI's disposal."

"You know, we could, uh, see each other, outside of work." He stammered out, nerves suddenly taking over.

"This is going to sound extremely strange, but I don't want Holly to get too attached. I've never really dated anyone that I brought around her. Not that this is a date, or that we're-" She began to put words to the sporadic thoughts bouncing around in her mind. She exhaled deeply, urging herself to continue. "I just, don't want her to get disappointed. I know that there's no intention of a relationship here, but I just-"

"Who said there was no intention of a relationship?" He asked with a challenge in his voice.

"The bright purple bra shoved between your couch cushions." She said with a bitter tone, pursing her lips, matching his challenge. He winced at the realization.

"That, as much as you may not believe me, has been there for several months. I went through a dark time, where I jumped at anything that came my way. There's a lot of nights, I don't particularly remember, that I'm not proud of."

"Mulder, you don't have to explain any of this to me."

"No, I do, I want to. When I profile, I get so lost in the minds of these criminals, that sometimes I lose myself. I don't have anyone to come home to, anchor me to this world. That's what happened, and I took a break from it for a while. That's why I offered to take this case, it was different, simple."

"Zombies are simple?" She asked lightening the mood.

"Simpler than serial rapists. I just, want you to know, there are intentions, if the feeling is mutual. Even if it's not, I still might shamefully pursue you." He teased. Color tinged her cheeks and she bowed her head coyly.

"I might enjoy the sight of that, though." She said teasingly.

"So, it's a date then?" He leered at her.

"We'll see." She said with a challenge in her eyes.

She had never felt this way so soon with someone, and Holly had taken to him so easily. It almost feared her just how easy everything was, and in true Dana Scully fashion, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. The fear began to dissipate as they exchanged shy smiles, both anticipating what was to come.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a few weeks since Mulder was released from the hospital, and he had taken Scully and Holly out a few times, but work kept them both busy, creating a shift in their acquaintanceship. She was becoming hesitant at how rapidly Holly had taken to him, and the fear of him disappointing her was beginning to cloud her positive thoughts. She was so quick to trust him, which was unusual for her, and her mixed emotions were running high. Nothing had advanced in their own relationship, other than them just building their friendship, which also caused confusion for her.

"Yeah, hello?" She answered, one quiet evening.

"Is this Dr. Dana Scully?"

"Yes, this is she. How can I help you?"

"This is Agent Montgomery, I was calling to see if we can get you in for an autopsy. There's been an active case, and this is our first victim in a month. It's matching the MO of a suspect we've been after for a while."

"Hi, uh -" She paused, glancing over at Holly doing her homework on the couch. She let out a heavy sigh, knowing she couldn't refuse cases so early in her employment with them. "Yeah, I'll be in as soon as I can."

"Should I go change?" Holly asked as she peered over the couch.

"Maybe, not yet. Let me make a call really quick." She said as she escaped to her room.

"Mulder."

"Hey, it's Scully. I, uh, was calling to see if you were busy, and if you're not, if you'd be able to do me a favor." She asked nervously.

"Well, I live a very exciting life, but I should be able to squeeze you in. What can I do for you?"

"I just got called in on a new case, and I don't want to drag Holly with me. I was wondering if you'd be able to come hang out, just until I get back. Hopefully I won't be too late, but I won't really know more until I get there. She'll be sleeping soon anyway, so you'll probably just be here watching TV by yourself." She said in one breath.

"Uh, sure, Scully." He said hesitantly. She sighed, chastising herself for even asking.

"No, it's okay. Sorry, I'm just sort of desperate, and don't know anyone else here yet."

"I said I would, I guess I'm just a little surprised is all. I'm not exactly known for my babysitting skills." He said with a distant, bitter tone.

"I didn't mean to spring this on you, it's just, I couldn't think of anyone else, and Holly knows you."

"I'll be over soon." He said reassuringly.

When he arrived, Holly's eyes lit up at the sight of him since it had been a while since she had seen him. Scully and him exchanged sheepish smiles, her laying the ground rules for the evening.

"Alright, bed, normal time, and not too much TV before then. Don't give Mulder too much trouble." She said as she kissed Holly on the head.

"You, no junk food before bed, keep the TV to a minimum and she's in charge." She teased lightly before leaving. He playfully glared at her and Holly giggled at the newest set of rules.

"So, what do you want to watch before I'm supposed to cut you off from the TV?" Mulder asked nervously, suddenly not knowing how to carry a conversation with a 10-year-old girl.

"Usually I end up watching whatever science documentary mom puts on. I think she bores me so I go to sleep on time."

"Okay, let's see what's on then." He said as he started flipping through channels. He stopped on an episode of The Brady Bunch, figuring that it was a safe bet. They watched in a comfortable silence, until she was broken from her thoughts.

"Sometimes I wish I had a bigger family, or siblings." She said offhandedly. He paused, not knowing how to have this kind of conversation. He scoffed to himself, some psychologist he was.

"Your mom doesn't have a large family?"

"She does, but I guess it would be nice to know more about my dad." She said in a small voice. He panicked, knowing this was a sensitive subject.

"Have you, uh, ever asked your mom about him?"

"Yeah, but she just avoids it." She said with a small shrug. "She's only said that she met him one night at some beach party, and they had a lot of fun together."

Mulder began to speak before flashes of a memory began to surge through his mind. He shook his thoughts, thinking it couldn't possibly be what he was assuming, but curiosity got the best of him.

"When's your birthday?"

"May 27th, why?"

"Just curious, what year were you born?"

"Well, considering I'm 10, 1983." She teased. He just nodded silently, doing the math in his head.

"Where did you guys move from?"

"What's with the questions?"

"I'm just returning the favor from the first time I took you guys out for ice cream." He teased, trying lighten his own mood. She giggled guiltily.

"We moved from San Diego. I miss my friends." She said distractedly as she turned her attention back to the TV.

He paled, as he began to piece everything together. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but there were way too many coincidences for this to not lead to where his thoughts were wondering. That night on the beach that summer was one of his fondest memories, but he never thought it would come back to haunt him. He subtly glanced over at the child next to him, and began to see the similarities between her and his sister. He should have caught on sooner, why they had such a connection right away, and the fact that she had his eyes. He didn't know if he was seeing these things because he wanted to, or if it was because it was true. He didn't know how to process this new information, or how to even administer a test for it.

He put her to bed, lost in his own thoughts for the rest of the evening. He didn't want to approach Scully about it, not yet. He sat mindlessly watching TV until he was broken from from his reverie at the sound of the door opening.

"Hey, how did everything go?" She asked exhaustedly.

"Pretty good, I think. I was on my best behavior, I promise." He said lightheartedly.

"I'm sure you both kept each other in line. Thanks, again. I know it was last minute. My parents are moving here in about a month, so I'll have more help then."

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind, really. She's a good kid."

"Yeah, she is. She's way too adult sometimes, I worry that being the child of a young single mom made her grow up way too fast." She said lost in her own mind. She performed an autopsy on a 13-year-old girl whose adolescence and entire life had been stripped away from her. Working on children was always the hardest for her, making her overthink about her own daughter.

"Nah, I think she'll be alright. It's a good independence builder, more than anything. Trust me, I'm a psychologist, first session is free." He teased. She huffed out a chuckle, feeling slightly relieved.

"Thanks, again. I definitely owe you." She said as she opened the door for him, signaling his leaving. He nodded, getting the hint, and grabbed his jacket to leave. He turned suddenly, not knowing how to bring up the issue, and chickened out last minute.

"I, uh, she mentioned something about her dad tonight. I didn't really know how to approach it, so I just used my best psychology skills and let her talk." He said carefully. Scully exhaled deeply, the issue exhausted.

"She had a family tree project due for school recently, and it just arose new questions on that subject. Sorry, that you had to deal with that."

"No, it's okay. I just thought you should know, in case it comes up again. Hopefully I'll see you guys soon?" He asked hopefully.

On her way home, she had been thinking a lot about him and his involvement in their lives. It had all happened so quickly, and she couldn't exactly avoid it, considering he met her at the lab in a moment of desperation. Normally, no man would ever meet her daughter, until she knew it was right. With Mulder, him and Holly hit it off instantly, that's why she gave him a chance. She had no idea where they stood, in regards to a relationship, or lack thereof, and that was unsettling for her. She hated when she did this, ran away to avoid being hurt, to avoid Holly being hurt. She licked her lips nervously, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

"Yeah, uh, I've been thinking. I just, don't want to get her hopes up, about this being anything. I really appreciate you being so great with her, I just -"

"Don't want her to get too attached..." He said as his voice drifted off, his thoughts bouncing in his mind sporadically.

"I'm not saying we won't see you again, I just think we should keep it casual. I don't want to mess anything up." She said, her mind confused.

"No, it's okay. I understand the caution. I am here to help though, if you ever need a last minute babysitter. As a friend." He said sincerely. She nodded in thanks, before he turned to leave.

She closed the door behind him, letting out a heavy sigh. She didn't know what was the best way to handle this situation, she just did what she thought to be right, for the both of them. She exhaustedly made her way to her room for another sleepless night, allowing her thoughts to take over her mind.

It had been another few weeks, and she had hardly spoken to Mulder. She had only seen him in passing, making casual pleasantries. Every time he even attempted to bring up the revelation he made up in his mind, he found a way to talk himself out of it. He could sense the distance between them growing, but knew she felt that they were rushing things.

"Oh, hey Scully, how are you?" He said as he approached her in the main hallway. She had her face buried in a new case file, and almost ran straight into him.

"Hey! Sorry, I was - hi." She said distractedly with a small smile.

"How have you been? How's Holly?"

"Good, we're both good. My parents are flying in this evening to finalize some things on their house, so I've been busy preparing for their visit. How have you been?"

"Eh, can't complain. I guess, I'll see you around then. Have a good weekend." He said, awkwardly ending the conversation. She nodded at their parting, scolding herself for the distance that she created.

He was going crazy in his own thoughts, keeping what he thought was to be true to himself. He wanted to talk to Scully about it, see if she could fill in the missing pieces of his memory, if it was in fact her. He didn't know how else to find a way to talk to her again, unless she was assisting him on another case. Mulder went in search of any active case that he could take, which would constitute the need for her assistance. His entire day, and early evening, was spent rummaging through files, only broken from his search by the ringing of the phone.

"Mulder."

"Hey, it's Murphy. I think you should get down to the hospital." He said sympathetically. Mulder was immediately put on high alert, sobering from his thoughts.

"What's happening? What's wrong?"

"Look, I'm breaking some rules even telling you this, but Dr. Scully and her daughter were brought in from a car accident. She'll be okay, but her daughter isn't in good shape. I just thought you should know." He explained carefully.

Mulder's entire world came crashing down, his heart dropping at the news. He jumped into action, thanking Murphy for the call, and speeding to the hospital. Another thought popped into his head, and he made a call for her parents to be picked up from the airport. He mentally scolded himself for allowing them to slip so far away from him, not knowing if he'd ever have a chance to tell them what he thought to be true.

"Where is she? What's going on?" He asked frantically as he approached Murphy. He pulled him aside, knowing he was risking a lot sharing this information.

"Dr. Scully was taken to a room, she only suffered minor injuries. Most of the impact was on the passenger's side, and that's where her daughter was sitting in the backseat. She lost a lot of blood, and she's going to need a transfusion, but her mother isn't a match."

"Could, uh, could you test and see if I'm a match?" He asked cautiously, subconsciously seeking answers to his unknown questions.

"Sure, we can test anyone, but generally family gives us the best end result for the patient. Do you know who or where her dad is?"

"You should just check me first." Mulder said with a resigned sigh. Murphy could sense the implication, and didn't ask any further questions, nodding in agreement.

He ran the compatibility tests, along with another, for the unasked question in Mulder's eyes. They both were silent, lost in their own thoughts about the situation. He had known Mulder a long time, and could tell that if what he was implying was actually true, this was the first time he was discovering it himself. He excused Mulder, and let him know what room Scully was in, letting him know he'd come find him with the results.

As Mulder was walking back to the patient rooms, he saw an older couple asking what room Dana Scully was in, and instantly knew these must be her parents. He was relieved that everything had at least gone smoothly on that regard.

"Mr. and Mrs. Scully?" He asked as he approached them cautiously.

"Yes?" Maggie Scully asked anxiously, they were still waiting on information about their daughter.

"I'm, uh, Fox Mulder. I'm a, friend, of Sc - Dana's. She's in room 305, I can take you in there." He said with a sincere smile. He led them down the hall, allowing them to make their way inside alone. He plopped himself down in the chair outside, physically and emotionally spent. He sat up to attention when he saw Murphy walking towards him.

"I've got the results, you're a perfect match. If you're still willing to -"

"I am, I want to. Let me talk to Scully first, you'll need her permission for the transfusion anyway, right?"

"Yeah, we will." He said distantly. He was hiding from the other test he ran, still awaiting the results. He could see the nervousness rising in Mulder, and wanted to help him out as much as he could. "I have to brief her on Holly's condition, so I can bring up the subject to her. I don't need to tell her who the donor is, that's up to you."

"Maybe, we should keep that to ourselves for now. I'll find a way to tell her later, I just-" He let out a heavy sigh. Murphy nodded, understanding his apprehension. He entered the room, Mulder following closely behind.

"How are you feeling, Dr. Scully?"

"Do you know how Holly is? No one will tell me anything, and I - I need to know." She said frantically as she began to fight back tears. She had been drowsy, in and out of sleep. Her parents' arrival was the most awake she had been since she was brought in.

"That's what I was coming to talk to you about. She had some internal bleeding, and lost a lot of blood. She has a broken leg, so she'll be on rest for a while. We think the best course of action is a blood transfusion." He said carefully. Mulder was holding back, to the side of the room, out of the way.

"We're not the same blood type, I wouldn't be a match." She said as she absorbed the news. Her mind was still hazy from the pain medication, and recovering from the shock of the event.

"I know, we tested while you were still unconscious. We found a donor, a nearly perfect match, actually. We just need your permission to perform it."

"Yes, of course. I agree, in that course of action for her treatment. Bring me the papers to sign off. Who was the donor?" She asked, drowsiness taking over again. He handed her the papers before she succumbed to sleep again.

"They asked to be anonymous. We'll get this going right away. We're planning to bring her in here for recovery, so I'll send a nurse back in to update you on the procedure." He said reassuringly. She nodded before drifting off to sleep again, not able to fight it any longer.

He glanced towards Mulder, implying for him to follow so that they could begin the process. He snuck out behind him, leaving her to her family.

"So, we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Murphy asked as he got him prepped.

"Nope. There's nothing to talk about." Mulder said dismissively. He didn't want to put the idea out there, if nothing came from it.

"Sounds good." He said as he began the process.

After a few hours, the transfusion was complete, and Mulder was told to rest for a while. They moved Holly up to Scully's room, leaving her there to recover.

"Your girlfriend is asking about you. Her parents sold you out, told her that you greeted them when they got here, and arranged for them to be picked up."

"She's not my girlfriend, and I don't have the energy for another witty remark." Mulder mumbled sleepily.

"That's okay, I've got a few stored up from you over time to hold me over."

"How is she?"

"She's fine, thanks to you. They're both going to be good as new, eventually."

"Good, I'm glad. When can I break outta this joint?"

"After you visit them upstairs. Doctor's orders, hers, not mine." He teased. Mulder chuckled and nodded in resignation, knowing he could only make matters worse by avoiding them.

After a while longer, he finally felt up to standing on his own feet. He needed to make sure there was no way for Scully to detect that he was the donor. When he entered the room, they were both asleep, her parents had already left for the evening. He walked between the two beds, glancing over at Holly and smiling, relieved he was able to help. He was slightly startled when he noticed Scully staring at him through drowsy eyes, and smiled at her guiltily.

"Thank you." She said in a raspy whisper. "My parents told me that you sent someone to pick them up from the airport, I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it, Scully. I'm just glad you're both okay."

"Me, too. I was so worried, the car, it just came out of nowhere, and I didn't have time to react." She began to say frantically.

"Hey, it's okay. You're both going to be just fine, just focus on that. I'll let you get back to sleep, you need your rest." He said sincerely. She nodded in resignation.

"Will you, uh, be back tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll stop by to check on you guys, hopefully this one is awake." He said as he gestured towards Holly. She followed his gaze, smiling at her daughter, knowing she would be okay.

The next day, Mulder made his way back to the hospital, nerves rising as he approached. Murphy caught him in the main hallway as he was making rounds. He pulled him into his office, seriousness clouding his normally easy-going demeanor.

"Must be good news." Mulder said sarcastically.

"This may be overstepping, but I could tell by the look in your eye yesterday that you had unasked questions. I ran another test, when I checked for compatibility for the transfer." He said seriously as he handed an envelope to Mulder.

He took the envelope from him, brow furrowing in puzzlement. He opened it carefully, removing the contents as if they were a bomb about to go off. He read over the medical garble on the paper, and paled at the bottom line.

 _Probability of Paternity: 99.9996%_

"I take it you didn't know."

"No, no. I had my suspicions, but only as of recently." He said in a whispered voice, re-reading the line, imagining it to change before his eyes.

"You didn't suspect when you first met them?" Murphy asked amazed by the situation.

"No, it was only when Holly was talking about what she knew about her dad that things began to somewhat piece themselves together."

"Well that's some extreme twist of fate if I ever heard one."

"You don't, uh, you don't have to tell her right? This, it can stay confidential?"

"Yeah, technically I ran it without permission, as a favor to a friend. But, Mulder, are you sure?"

"I just don't think they can handle that kind of disruption in their life right now."

"They can't, or you can't?"

"Well it looks like your overstepping has reached it's maximum for today." He said as he began to leave the office. As he reached the door, he exhaled deeply, turning back towards his friend. "Thank you. This, helped to at least ease my mind."

He made his way to their room, pacing the halls for a while before he got up the nerve to enter. He knew her mother was here, and that only increased his anxiety. He needed to compose his thoughts and emotions before facing them.

"Hey, I'm glad you came back." Scully said past her mother as he entered the room. "Mom, you've met Mulder."

"We did, it's good to see you again." Maggie smiled warmly. She excused herself to find some lunch, leaving them alone to talk.

"How you feeling today?" He asked generally. She could sense there was an apprehension that he was fighting, and felt that it had to do with her pushing him away recently.

"I've been better, but I'm fine."

"How is she?"

"She was awake for a while earlier, but she's been so drowsy, so she's been sleeping mostly. That happens, with the procedures she's had. She'll be okay though, we both always are."

"I'm glad, I just wanted to come and see how you were both doing."

"I'm sorry, for distancing myself recently. I think I was just being precautionary, but you were there for us, through this, and I really appreciate that. It puts some things in perspective." She said with a small smile.

"No problem, Scully. I told you, anything you need, just let me know."

"She'll, uh, probably want to see you, when she's fully awake again."

"Let me know, I'll stop by. Get some rest." He said as he was leaving. He had placed the envelope that Murphy gave him at the table at the end of her bed when he entered, and was so lost in his thoughts, that he left it behind upon his exit.

Scully laid back in a comfortable position again, letting her mind mull over the events of the past week. She knew that she was confused, about how she felt about him, given she hardly knew him. It may be the inebriated state the medication put her in, but something was pulling her towards him, and that terrified her.

"You should be resting." Maggie said pointedly as she made her way back into the room.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"What's this?" Maggie asked as she picked up the envelope. It was hidden out of Scully's sight, and her brow furrowed as her mother brought it into view. She reached out to grab it from her mom, puzzlement clouding her thoughts.

She opened the envelope and pulled out the contents, paling as she read over the report. Her eyes widened, and she couldn't believe what she was reading. She could hear the indistinct sound of her mother asking her what was wrong, but couldn't let her mind form words.

"It's not - It can't..." She began to stammer, her voice drifting off.

"Honey, you're worrying me. Are you okay? Should I get the doctor?" Maggie said as she moved towards her daughter.

"No, no. I, this is a paternity test."

"A paternity test, for who?"

"It's a positive paternity test, for Holly." She said in a small whisper.

"I'm not following, you ran the test? Do you know who the father is?" She said in a whisper as she moved closer, in case Holly woke up.

"I didn't run the test, apparently her father did." She said as she licked her lips nervously. "On second thought, can you call the doctor?"

Murphy made his way into the room quickly, wanting to keep a close eye on this mother and daughter, in more of an unspoken favor to his friend. He rushed to the room, composing himself before entering.

"Everything okay in here?" Murphy asked calmly, surveying the surroundings.

"That depends on your definition of the word. Uh, Mom, can I have a minute to speak with the doctor alone?" Scully asked sternly. Maggie reluctantly left the room, knowing her daughter was withholding her emotions, trying to stay strong with these newest revelations.

"What can I help you with?" He asked cautiously.

"Mind explaining this to me?" She asked accusingly as she shoved the results towards him. His name was signed on the bottom as the doctor who approved the test. He sighed at the sight of the papers strewn on the bed, and winced at the tone of her voice.

"He told you."

"No, he didn't tell me. He left the results here on accident after he came to visit."

"Idiot. You know, for some renowned, highly praised, psychology genius, he sure is stupid sometimes." He huffed.

"Why did he ask you to run the test?"

"He didn't. He-" Murphy let out a heavy sigh. "I ran it when I ran another test, off of a hunch."

"What other test could you possibly have had to run that would require-" Her voice cut off mid thought, as realization hit. "The transfusion, he was the donor."

"I didn't tell you that, that was your own assumption." He said feigning innocence in the situation.

"When can I get out of here? I need to talk to him alone." She said definitively, leaving no room for questioning.

"I don't think you should be on your feet. You're still recovering from a traumatic accident."

"I'll sign myself AMA if I have to, that was more of a suggestion for you to figure out a way for me to go see him."

"I can tell I'm going to lose this argument, so I'm not even going to waste my breath. I'll sign your release, but only if you wait until tomorrow."

"Fine, but you can't talk to him until then, not about this. I'll know if you do." She said as she glared her eyes at him. He nodded in understanding, before making a brisk exit. He shook his head as he made his way back to the office, knowing Mulder was in for a fight.

The next morning, Scully was sitting upright in her bed, fully clothed, waiting for him to return. Her mother had lectured and scolded her all morning, advising her against it. Holly was still in and out of sleep, but able to stay awake for longer periods of time. Scully had already talked to her about leaving for a while, reassuring her that grandma would be there with her.

"I still don't agree with this." Murphy said as he handed her the release forms.

"I don't either." Maggie chimed in.

"I won't be long, if I feel bad, I'll come right back, I promise. I just - I need to handle this." She said, gaining confidence in her decision.

She made her way outside and called a cab, giving them the address to Mulder's apartment. Her mind was running in every direction, nerves building at the confrontation that she was about to encounter. Never, in her wildest dreams, could she ever imagine that she'd come face to face with her biggest adolescent indiscretion. She thought about that night, often, letting him be just an unattainable fantasy in her mind. As she pieced everything together, the instant connection she felt with him made more sense, and then another thought popped into her head. She didn't know how Holly would process this information. She was so advanced, maturity wise, for her age, but even this was a lot to process for anyone.

The cab pulled up to the curb outside his building, the abrupt stop breaking her from her thoughts. She got out, and stood on the curb, unable to allow her feet to move from her spot. She knew she was still weak from the accident, and the mix of her nerves weren't helping the lightheadedness washing over her. She exhaled deeply, making her way up to his apartment. She stood outside of his door, urging herself to knock. She could hear the television on, and knew he was home, that knowledge not settling her anxiety. She let out a heavy sigh, finally bringing herself to knock on the door.

"Scully? What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital, come in, sit down." He said frantically at the sight of her. He led her inside, but she stopped in her tracks, standing in the middle of his apartment, not facing him. "Scully?"

"How long have you known?" She said in a small whisper. She still had her back to him, and he wasn't sure what this visit was about.

"I don't know what you-"

"How long have you known?" She said, pausing between each word, adding emphasize to her accusation. She finally turned to face him, gripping the test results in her hand. His eyes widened at the sight of them, and he sighed in concession.

"Not long, and I didn't know, until Murphy ran the tests - which I didn't ask for by the way. I just, had my suspicions." He began to stammer.

"When - did you begin to have these suspicions?" She spat, anger rising at the situation.

"That night that I watched Holly, when you had to work. She told me that the only thing she knew about her father was that you met him at a beach party. I had flashes, to that night, and began to do the math in my head. I asked when her birthday was to confirm my intuitive guess, and that only sealed my thoughts further. Scully, I never-"

"You never, what? Never thought to tell me, thought to even mention to me the fact that you thought you might be the father of my 10-year-old daughter?!"

"When was I supposed to bring it up? It's not exactly like I was feeling very welcomed around you lately. You've been distancing yourself, you said it firsthand to me in the hospital. It's not a light subject to just bring up in passing at work." He said, matching her angry tone. Both of them were just as stubborn, and neither was going to concede first.

"You should have told me sooner! I only found out because you so carelessly left the results in my room. Were you ever planning to tell me, or was this just going to be your little secret?"

"I would have told you eventually, I just didn't know how. I wanted to wait for you both to fully recover, I didn't want to stress you out while you weren't feeling well. Scully, believe me, this was just as surprising to me." He said genuinely, trying to calm the tension in the room.

"I don't know what I believe anymore. I have to go, I don't feel good." She said as she paled and began to collapse. All of the emotions, mixed with her recovery finally caught up with her, and she was exhausted in every sense. He caught her, before she hit the ground, and called an ambulance to take her back to the hospital.

Scully began to rouse, and was instantly startled by her surroundings. Her mother settled her, noticing her panicked state, muttering reassuring sentiments in her ear.

"What happened?" She asked still foggy from the events of the day.

"You collapsed, Fox brought you back to the hospital, where you should have never left from." Maggie said pointedly.

"Mulder, is he -"

"He's here, he's been pacing the hallways since you were readmitted. I can send him in, if you'd like." She said with a hint of question in her voice. Scully exhaled deeply, settling herself in a more seated position, nodding towards her mother.

Scully fixed her disheveled appearance, suddenly nervous to face Mulder after their fight. She knew that wasn't how she planned to handle the situation, but the adrenaline surging inside of her took over in the moment. She glanced up at the opening of the door, both exchanging a silent apology with their eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asked sheepishly, slowly entering the room.

"Better, thank you. Mulder, I-"

"No, Scully, it's okay. I understand, trust me, you handled the situation better than I would have if it was the other way around."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you, I think I just didn't know how to process this information. It's a lot." She said in a small voice.

"We don't, uh, have to do anything about it. I'm not-"

"Do you want to...do something about it?"

"I - I don't know. I mean, I've love spending time with you both, but I wouldn't want to, force the situation." He said as he moved closer to her.

"I suppose we don't have to figure anything out right now. I want you to be around, as much as you're willing to be. She adores you, and nothing has to change right away." She said with a small smile.

They were both walking on eggshells around the new development in their lives, but they were willing to work on it, together. She reached out for his hand, and he cautiously grasped onto it, giving her a small smile as she squeezed his hand in reassurance. They nodded to each other, knowing this was going to be a challenge, but one that they'd overcome as a team, as partners.

"So, what happens now?"


	4. Chapter 4

"I have a meeting, but I won't be gone long. Grandma and Grandpa will be back today, for good." Scully explained to Holly. She was sitting with her in her hospital bed, comforting her nerves for having to leave. She knew her daughter was just fine in the hospital, but worried that no one else would be here with her. It had been a week since the accident, and Holly's blood levels still weren't where the doctor wanted them. They had entertained the idea of another transfusion, but Scully hadn't brought it up to Mulder yet. He had been by every day since they finally talked, spending as much time as he was welcome.

"Okay, you won't be gone long?" Holly asked trying to mask the nervousness in her voice.

"I promise. If you need anything, just call the nurse right away."

"I could stay with her." Mulder said as he leaned against the doorframe. Scully jumped at his voice, smiling shyly at his presence.

"Mulder! You still owe me ice cream." Holly said as her eyes lit up at the sight of him. He playfully glared at her and pulled the bag he was hiding behind his back into view. Scully smirked and shook her head at him.

"I don't know who taught her how to play poker, but she hustled me, Scully. I always pay my dues." He said as he approached the bed, situating the ice cream on the small table in front of her.

"Not too much." She said pointedly, to both of them. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I'd be happy to. Plus, I call a rematch." He said as him and Scully shared a small, knowing smile.

"I'll be back soon, it's just a short meeting."

"Don't worry, no rush. It'll give us more time for wheel chair races down the hall." He said teasingly. Holly's eyes lit up excitedly.

"Mulder..." She warned. He chuckled at how easily she fell for it, and Holly let out a small giggle. It was amusing, with the new revelations, to see just how much of him shined through in her.

He was enjoying the time that he had the privilege to spend with Holly, and felt like he couldn't get enough of her, of both of them. They hadn't really talked about what this meant for their relationship, but they agreed to take it slowly. Mulder was willing to take anything that they were willing to give, and knew that he couldn't afford to mess this up.

"I knew I sensed trouble." Murphy said as he made his way into the room to check on Holly. "Is this man bothering you?"

"He's really bad at poker, but he brought me ice cream, so I can't complain." She said jokingly with a shrug.

Murphy walked over to check the monitors, and read over the recent numbers on her chart. He furrowed his brow, instantly worrying Mulder. He pulled him over to the door, away from Holly's earshot.

"Is something wrong?" He asked fearfully.

"My, how easily the parent worry kicks in." Murphy said amused. Mulder glared his eyes at his friend. "Her blood levels are still low, they're improving, but not as rapidly as we want. She lost a lot of blood, and Dr. Scully and I agreed another transfusion could help."

"You, uh, already talked to Scully about it?"

"Yeah, yesterday. She didn't tell you?"

"No, she hasn't. I'll talk to her when she gets back. Can I still be the donor, so soon?"

"It shouldn't be a problem. We didn't do a large transfusion the first time, so a second one shouldn't be harmful. We'd check your levels first, just to make sure."

"Alright, I'll talk to Scully later, and we'll let you know so we can do it as soon as possible." He said with finality. Murphy chuckled in amusement, eyes gleaming at his friend before him. "What?"

"Nothing, I've just never seen you like this before. It's a good look on you." He said as he left the room.

He had spent the next few hours making casual conversations with Holly. After they got past the initial awkwardness, their discussions flowed with ease. They played card games together, and he could see his own quirkiness come out in her personality. Children was never something he had ever imagined for himself, but looking at Holly, he wouldn't change anything about the situation.

Scully had made her way back to the hospital, stopping at the entrance of the room to revel in the candid moment. Mulder and Holly were in an exuberant debate about extraterrestrials. She fought back her amused laughter with the back of her hand, but couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I think I've left you two alone for too long." She said as she approached Holly's side. She kissed the top of her head, asking how their day had gone.

"Hey, Scully, can we talk a minute?" He asked distractedly. She nodded and he led them outside to the empty hall.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I don't think. I, uh, talked to Murphy earlier, he mentioned something about another transfusion. Why didn't you just ask me?" He said cautiously. She closed her eyes in resignation, and he reached out to rub her arm for comfort. He didn't want to overstep, but needed her to know that he was there for them, in anyway.

"I didn't mean to keep it from you, I just-" She let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't want to ask too much too soon. You've been great, but I didn't know what the limits were on what I could ask. We haven't exactly talked about anything."

"Scully..." He said softly as he pulled her in for a hug. She stiffened slightly before allowing herself to relax into his embrace. "I'm here in any way that you need or want me to be. This isn't temporary, and I don't think 10 years is too soon to ask anything of me." He said lightly as she chuckled into his chest.

He ran his hands up and down her back with feather soft strokes. She leaned back far enough to look up and catch his gaze. They shared silent sentiments and promises through their eyes, and she nodded as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She sighed into the contact, more confused about where they stood.

They had performed the second transfusion, and after another few days, Holly was released to go home. She still had a cast on her leg, and Mulder had helped them get situated back at Scully's apartment. Her parents had moved into their new house already, and everyone was adjusting to the newest developments. They had already figured out a schedule to help with Holly, that didn't include Mulder in the mix. He knew it would be difficult to show up at random times, like he did in the hospital, and that him and Scully needed to talk about what to do next. After she put Holly to bed, she plopped on the couch next to him, exhausted from the day.

"I'm so glad she's finally home. Thank you, for helping us get settled." She said sincerely. She could sense that something was eating at him, anticipating what was to come.

"I, uh, think we should talk." He said cautiously. She inhaled quickly, not knowing what his intentions were.

"Sure, Mulder." She answered in a small voice.

"I guess, I'm just wondering, with your parents helping out, where I fit in. It's going to look a little more suspicious with me showing up randomly here, than it did in the hospital."

"No, I know. I've been thinking about it, too. I don't know, it's a difficult situation and I don't think she's ready to know. I know she's mature, but she's still just a kid. I don't want to overwhelm her, but I don't want to shut you out either."

"Maybe...I can pick her up from school, at least one day a week, and give your parents a break. Or, if you get called in, I could always come hang out with her, instead of you having to call your parents last minute." He began to stammer. She covered his hand with hers, and he paused in his sporadic rambling.

"We'll figure it out." She said softly. He smiled at her, believing the truth he could see in her eyes.

"I should be going, you've had a long day, too."

"Oh, sure. Thanks again, for everything." She said with more implication in her voice. She walked him to the door, and he turned abruptly after putting on his jacket.

"Scully, I need you to know, I'm not just here for Holly. I know we haven't talked about, well anything really, but-" His words were cut off as she threw herself into his body, wrapping her arms lightly around his waist. He smiled and engulfed her in a deep embrace, burying her into him as much as he could manage.

"Thank you." She said in a small whisper. He kissed the top of her head, repeating his action from the hospital.

She leaned back, not meeting his eyes. She let out a shaky sigh, her warm breath touching his neck. He lost all inhibitions in that moment, cradling her face in his hands, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on her lips. She opened her mouth willingly, and his tongue thrusted inside, deepening their sentiments. She let out a small whimper at the contact, and he moaned into her mouth. Her grip on him tightened, pulling him into her, melding them together. She finally pulled back, needing to catch her breath. He rested his forehead on hers, neither moving any further away from their closeness.

When they kissed, it brought them both back to that night on the beach, the night they both had thought was long forgotten. Both of their minds were wandering in different directions, ultimately their thoughts leading to each other.

"I'll see you soon." He said in a hushed tone. They exchanged shy smiles as he disappeared from her apartment, a sly smirk touching her lips at the newest change in their relationship.

She knew this would be a lot for Holly to absorb, and didn't want to rush anything, possibly jeopardizing even their friendship. She wanted him to be around, for Holly, for himself, for her.

The next day she was called upstairs from the morgue for a briefing. They asked for her assistance on a new case, leaving the details to a minimum. When she made her way into the conference room, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Mulder. It wasn't just his presence that made her stop in her stride, she knew the possibility of them working together was high, it was the flirtatious smile he was flashing to the woman next to him. He glanced up at her arrival, and got up from his seat to greet her.

"Hey, Scully. I'm glad you were able to help, this is an old acquaintance, Phoebe Green. She's a Scotland Yard Agent who asked for my assistance on a case that has made its way to the states. I was hoping you'd be able to do the autopsy on the latest victim. It's an arson case, but something just seems off about the evidence."

"Uh, yeah, sure." She said as he handed her the report. She glanced towards the woman sitting at the table, before turning her gaze back towards him. He returned to his seat at her side, going over the rest of the evidence, practically dismissing Scully.

She made her way back down to the morgue to wait for the body to arrive so she could begin her autopsy. It was getting closer to the afternoon, and she had already called her mother to let her know she might be home later than usual. Holly was still out of school for a few days recovering, so she just had to make sure there was someone to take care of her.

When the body finally arrived, she began her autopsy, completely puzzled by the corpse on her table. She was so lost in her examination, she didn't hear Mulder and Phoebe make their way into the lab.

"Please tell me you've got something for us, Scully." He said lightly. He felt like he was walking on air after their kiss last night, and was puzzled by her somewhat sour mood. Not even the return of Phoebe could cause his mood to shift. He was starting to worry that she regretted it, but didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet.

"I don't know. The victim doesn't have any accelerant on the body or from their clothes, and it - it almost looks as if they were burned from the inside out. It's strange, the burn marks aren't normal, and I can't tell from where they originated. It's almost as if he burst into flames, all at once." She said exasperated.

"Are you saying it's probable that this wasn't arson?" Mulder asked carefully.

"I'm saying that this isn't a typical arson case. I want to run a few more tests on some tissue samples, see if anything comes from that. The site where the body was found, are there any signs of an accelerant there?"

"No, the only thing on fire was the poor bastard. Anything else that was caught in flames was in reaction to him." Phoebe chimed in.

"Okay, thank you. I'll let you know if anything comes from my results." She said in dismissal. Mulder mumbled something to Phoebe before she reluctantly left the lab, glancing over at Scully before making her exit. He shoved his hands in his pocket, sheepishly walking towards her.

"Everything okay, Scully?"

"Sure, everything's fine. I'm just trying to finish this up, my mom's been with Holly all day, and I don't want to keep her too much longer. I'll call you with the results."

"Oh, okay, yeah." He said as his mood plummeted. She knew this wasn't fair to him, she was being stubborn, and worried without any direct clarification between them.

"Mulder, wait." She said with a deep sigh. He stopped at the door, turning towards her expectantly. "Can we, uh, talk later?"

"Sure." He said with a small smile. He was worried for what that could mean, but knew it was necessary. "I know you said you had to get back, but you can meet me at my place when you're done here?"

"Yeah, I'll let my mom know. I'll see you later."

She wrapped up the autopsy, and had already sent the reports with her results up to the office that Phoebe was working out of. She wasn't able to get a hold of Mulder, but knew he was expecting her. Scully made her way to his apartment, nerves rising as she got closer. She hated herself for feeling jealous, like she was foolish for even the thought of it. She wanted to tell him exactly what she wanted, how she felt, but the truth was that she didn't even know herself. There were so many emotions mixing through her, but she couldn't specify if it was memories of the past that she was holding onto, or hope for the future.

As the elevator reached his floor, the doors opened and she took one step forward before the sight before her stopped her in her stride. Phoebe was leaving his apartment, fixing her disheveled hair, the top button undone on her shirt. She had a sly smirk on her face, like she had just overtaken a recent conquest. Scully's stomach began to turn, and her heart sank as the elevator doors closed, leading her back to the ground floor.

For the rest of the evening, she ignored Mulder's calls, not knowing what to say. She sat on the couch, staring at her incessantly ringing phone, fully aware that if she continued to ignore him, he would show up eventually. She exhaled deeply before answering, letting him listen to silence for a minute.

"Scully? Are you there? Scully, please talk to me." He began to say frantically.

"I'm here." She finally said in a breathy, small voice.

"What happened? I thought you were coming over after work. I was waiting for you, and got worried when you didn't show up, or answer your phone."

"Sorry, I - uh, tried calling when I was finished, but you must have had your hands full." She said with a bitter tone. "I didn't want to just show up, so I came home. I was busy with Holly, that's why I didn't answer."

"Is everything okay? Did something happen?" He asked worriedly. She winced, feeling bad that she was causing this worry in him.

"Everything's just fine. I'm getting tired myself, I think I'm going to head to bed. We can talk another time." She said as she disconnected the call, not giving him a chance to argue.

The next day, Mulder had called an early meeting, more so to find an excuse to see Scully. He didn't want to push her, but he missed spending his time with them, even though it had only been one day.

Scully made her way into the room, overhearing Phoebe talking about seeing him that evening. She bit back her anger and weariness about their relationship, and composed herself for their meeting. She avoided Mulder's eyes as she entered, not seeing the gleam in them every time he looked at her.

"Hey, we were just talking about you. Your results helped us narrow down our suspects, and we are planning to set a trap for him at an event tonight." He said sincerely.

"Oh, great. I'm glad I could help." She flashed them both a tight lipped smile, Phoebe returning the gesture.

"I was, uh, wondering if you'd want to go with us. It's in Boston, so we were planning to stay overnight, and I know it's last minute, but I'd love for you to join us."

"Unfortunately, I can't. When you have a child, it's a little difficult to just make last minute arrangements." She said pointedly, intentionally trying to hurt him. She could see the emotions washing over him, and felt guilty, but was too stubborn to waver her ground. "Good luck though, let me know if you need my assistance with anything else in the lab." She said as she made her brisk exit.

It had been several hours since she locked herself down in the morgue office, finishing up other reports. She could feel him walking towards her, and let out a heavy sigh, knowing there was a confrontation to be had.

"I was just coming to let you know I'm heading out, before we leave tonight." He said cautiously, still trying to gauge her mood.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything from here, I'm heading out soon myself, but I'll have the reports with me." She said distractedly.

"I was actually hoping we could have that talk, before I go."

"There's nothing to talk about, Mulder."

"That's not the message I was getting yesterday."

"It's nothing. I guess I just - never mind."

"Scully, I can tell that things have changed, since we kissed. You've seemed distant, and I'm sorry if I pushed you too soon. I just need to know, if that's not what you want, then I'll back off. I still want to be around though, for Holly."

"I thought when we kissed, that it meant we-" She paused at the sound of heels clicking on the tile floor. Phoebe leaned her head in, calling Mulder back to her side. He noticed Scully's jaw clench, and knew there was a miscommunication. He chastised himself for not seeing it sooner, feeling like an idiot for not reassuring her about them.

He knew that as long as Phoebe was here, he wouldn't get the time alone with Scully that he wanted. He devised a plan in his head, knowing what the necessary course of action was, for his family. He gave Scully an apologetic smile, promising they'd finish this conversation later.

As she made her way home, her mind was bouncing around sporadically. She scolded herself for falling so quickly for him, all over again. She wanted to take this slowly, giving less of a chance to jeopardize things for Holly. She was so confused, she just wanted to get home, and spend the evening with her daughter. She should have known it wasn't going to be that easy.

"How was your day, dear?" Maggie asked warmly as she walked through the door.

"It was fine, I'm just tired. Where's Holly?"

"She's taking a shower, we already ate, there's some leftovers saved for you."

"Thanks." She said in a small voice, thoughts distracted.

"Is there something else you would like to talk about?"

"No, I don't know. Things are just becoming too, complicated, with Mulder. I'm worried this isn't going to work, and I can't strip that opportunity away from them."

"Have you two talked about it?"

"We were in the middle of it, before we got interrupted." She scoffed.

"I know you both wanted to take things slowly, but I don't think that's an option, given your unique situation. Don't be so quickly to shut him out, he's now just as involved in this as you are." Maggie said calmly, hoping her daughter would listen. She made her way home, leaving Scully alone with her thoughts.

The rest of the evening was spent in a comfortable silence while they watched movies together and cuddled up on the couch. It was a Friday night, so she allowed Holly to stay up a little later than normal. They had both drifted off to sleep, Scully rousing at the light knocking on the door.

"Mulder?" She asked groggily, confused at his presence in her apartment.

"Can I come in?" He asked shyly. She silently nodded, moving to allow his entrance. She was still waking up, putting everything together.

"You're supposed to be in Boston."

"Do you want me to move her to bed?" He asked, gesturing towards Holly. She nodded, following him into her room. He laid her down gently, softly cradling her head, smiling down at her with the look of pure bliss bestowed on his face. Scully's heart warmed at the sight, reassuring her of how much he cared for this child that he barely had the chance to know.

He stepped out of the room, Scully following closely behind, arms crossed in a protective stance. He walked as far as the living room, before turning quickly to embrace her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He enclosed his lips on hers, and she relaxed instantly at the contact. Her hands went around his neck, pulling his head down towards her, deepening their connection.

Their lips glided together, both making indistinct sounds of pleasure into each other's mouths. He leaned down slightly to lift her by her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his hips, feeling his growing erection nudging at her center. He moved them towards the couch, sitting as she straddled his lap, their mouths never breaking contact.

He reluctantly separated his lips from hers, still lingering in a close proximity.

"You were right. That kiss, it did mean something for us." He said as he found her gaze, hoping she could read the truth in his eyes.

"Mulder..." She said in a breathy whisper, resting her forehead against his. "I - I do want this. I just, lost confidence in your intentions with-"

"I know, and I was an idiot to not realize that sooner. I should have explained to you, the history that we had. I never wanted you to doubt this."

"No, I jumped to conclusions, and I know I have been distant. I'm sorry, I treated you unfairly." She said as they exchanged a small smile, both relieved that they were able to move past this. "Why aren't you in Boston?" She asked leaning back further from their embrace, finally coming back to her thoughts.

"I wanted to be here, with you, with Holly. I was going to stop by earlier to see her, but I didn't know if I could wait to do this," he said, gesturing to their current position, "so I came after I thought she would be asleep." He smiled guiltily. She chuckled and placed another chaste kiss on his lips.

"As much as I would love to resume this, I do still think we should slow down. We need to talk about what we plan to do, about everything. It's getting complicated, and I don't want to mess anything up." She said as she moved out of his lap to settle beside him, facing him and keeping her legs draped across his.

"Come on, Scully. You're just stopping it because that's the position that got us in this mess in the first place." He teased. Her eyes widened as she playfully swatted at his arm.

"Mulder!" She chuckled, shaking her head at him. "God, I can't believe you even remember that."

"Well, I don't remember much from that night, but there are some things I've held onto." He said as he wagged his eyebrows at her.

"I've only had flashes of bits and pieces of that eventful evening. Over time, I stopped thinking about it, not focusing on what it was, but what it gave me."

"Is it weird to be sorry that I wasn't there, even though I didn't know? I still feel like there's a guilt in me for missing so much in her life."

"No, Mulder." She said as she grasped onto his hand, linking their fingers together. "It pained me the most, that you would never know. I know we didn't even know each other then, but I wanted you to be there to share the moments with me. I never, in my wildest dreams, could have imagined it to work out this way." She huffed as she played with their intertwined hands.

"I'm glad that it did, work out this way." He said reassuringly, bring their hands to his lips to kiss the back of hers. "You know, that summer, I was running away from my parents, from Phoebe."

"So you knew her in college? That's where you were visiting from, right?"

"Yeah, Oxford. She wanted me to stay the summer in England, see how much more she could rip my heart to shreds. My parents didn't care either way, so I took the first chance I could to do anything else. That night, I just planned to get completely wasted, forget it all."

"Well I definitely think we accomplished both of those tasks."

"Yeah, but you made me forget in the best way." He leered at her before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I only wish I wasn't trying to be so cool and mysterious. Maybe things would have worked out better for us, sooner."

"I think it worked out when it was supposed to happen. Holly and I basically grew up together, and I changed so much as a person, having her as my tether to reality. She kept me focused, determined to want to be the best for her. That night, helped me open myself up more to people, not live in such a tight bubble."

"What do we do now? How do we-?"

"I don't know, I can't even begin to imagine how she'll handle the news. But I also know the longer we keep it from her, the more upset she'll be that she didn't know." Scully said with a resigned sigh, groaning frustratedly as she buried her head into Mulder's shoulder.

"What if - she just thinks we're dating? Then I'd be around, get her used to the idea first."

"Are we...dating?" She said as she leaned away from him cautiously, catching his gaze. He smiled at her before kissing her passionately on the lips, cradling her head softly to deepen the embrace.

"Well I sure hope so." He said with a sly smirk, his mouth lingering before hers.

"You're just lucky she already gave her permission for me to date you." She said teasingly.

"She did? When did that happen?" He asked, chuckling in amusement.

"The first day she met you." Scully said sitting up again, rolling her eyes at the memory. "I think she's been trying to marry me off for a while, she seems to think I'm in need of male attention. She did say if I wanted to date you, she wouldn't mind."

He smiled with a mischievous gleam in his eye, and abruptly leaned her back, resting himself on top of her. She yelped at the sudden move, trying to muffle her giggle so that Holly wouldn't wake up.

"Well let's not disappoint the kid, Scully." He said with a husky tone in his voice. He leaned down to capture her lips, both melting into the embrace. She felt like she was a teenager all over again, feeling giddy by a make-out session on the couch, the thrill of the possibility of getting caught. She relished in the way he made her feel, never being more certain about the way she felt about someone.

"Sorry, I know you said slow." He said breathing heavily, he leaned down to kiss her again. "But I can't help myself with you."

"I'm not complaining." She said as she leaned up to capture his bottom lip softly with her teeth. "But I am going to kick you out soon."

"Can I take you guys out somewhere tomorrow?" He asked sincerely, hope filling his eyes.

"It's a date." She said with a wide grin, enjoying the fact that they would get to spend time with each other, as a family, as unconventional as it may be. They stayed in their embrace for a little while longer before he reluctantly sat up, separating himself from her. She walked him to the door, neither of them wanting the evening to end, but knowing it was what was best for the moment being.

"I'll be by around 11, we can have lunch, and then just be out of the apartment for a while." He said sincerely.

"Oh! I'm supposed to meet my parents for lunch. I can, cancel and rearrange some things." She said as she winced at her own forgetfulness.

"No, it's okay. I don't want you to have to cancel. Maybe, we can do Sunday?"

"Or, you could come with us to lunch."

"I don't know how, uh, good of an idea that is. I mean, I - I'm..."

"They don't hate you, just so you know." She said as she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. He sighed and relaxed into her embrace, resting his forehead against hers.

"As reassuring as that is, I just, don't think that's the best idea right now." She nodded in understanding, knowing this was his way of taking things slowly. She also knew there was more of a conversation to be had between them.

"I think that we should go out, and talk. Just the two of us. Are you free tomorrow night?"

"It's a date." He said with a smile as he leaned down to place a parting kiss on her lips before he made his way to the car. She closed the door behind him, smile remaining brightly on her face. She didn't know if this was the best way to ease Holly into the idea of them, but knew how much she adored him. Scully laid in bed that evening, for the first time, feeling completely content with the newest development in her life, their lives.

The next day, they had gone to lunch with Scully's parents, and Holly was just excited to be outside since she had been cooped up in the house. When they made it back to the apartment, everyone had settled in, Scully almost anxious to ask her parents to watch Holly for the evening.

"Do you guys have any plans for tonight?" She asked hesitantly, attempting to make it a nonchalant conversation. Holly was in the living room, obviously listening, while they were bustling about in the kitchen.

"We are meeting one of your father's old military friends for dinner actually. Why do you ask?" Maggie said distractedly.

"Oh, uh, no reason."

"Dana..."

"Mulder asked me to go to dinner with him tonight, so we could...talk. I can always schedule it for another day though." She said with a heavy sigh.

"Why don't you take Holly with you? I'm sure she would love to spend time with you both."

"I don't want to jump into anything, force her into a situation that she's not ready for."

"Do you think keeping it from her is really the best option?"

"It's the best option for everyone right now. Can we just drop it?" She said sternly. Now she understood why Mulder avoided this today, she wished she could hide from it herself. Her parents finally left, leaving her alone with Holly, who was filled with questions.

"What were you and grandma talking about earlier?" Holly asked accusingly, knowing her mother was hiding something from her.

"I thought I told you not to eavesdrop on other people's conversations."

"I know there's something you're not telling me." Scully let out a heavy sigh, not knowing how to approach this situation. She began to fidget with her hands, taking her time to avoid the issue.

"You and I, we've never had secrets between each other. There is something we need to talk about, but not yet. I'm not saying that I won't tell you, I'm just saying not right now. Okay?" She said carefully, paying with her daughter's hair in a comforting gesture.

"Fine. But what does that have to do with Mulder?"

"Were you serious, when you said you wouldn't mind if him and I dated?"

"Yes, are you guys dating?" Holly asked with a gleam in her eyes. Scully smiled, feeling confident in her decision.

"I think so, it's still new. I-" Her voice was cut off by the ringing of the phone. She knew who it was, she was expecting his call. Holly beat her to answering it, and her eyes grew wide, eyebrow rising, warning her daughter to behave.

"Mulder, we were just talking about you." Holly teased. She giggled at his response, and escaped to her room to take the call. Scully couldn't handle not being included in on this conversation. She finally reappeared, and handed the phone over to her, a mischievous look on her face.

"What did you tell her, she's looking at me like you just gave her the secrets of the universe." Scully said pointedly as he chuckled.

"Well hello to you, too, Scully. I'm doing great, thanks for asking." He teased. "I actually hope you're not mad, I know we need to talk alone, but I thought it would be nice for us all to go to dinner together."

"Sure, we'd love that." She said with a shy smile as the color tinged her cheeks. He set a time to pick them up, and she disconnected the call, playfully glaring her eyes at her daughter. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm going to change, we have a date." She teased as she hobbled her way to her room. Scully rolled her eyes, yet relishing in how amazing he was being. The only reservation she had, was wondering if he was committing only because of Holly. Without her, would he want anything to do with their relationship?

She pushed past her feelings, getting ready for dinner. He said to dress warm, but casual. He wouldn't tell her where he was taking them, just that he would handle everything. Scully's anxiety was rising, not able to pinpoint why her nerves were so high. She knew Holly adored him, but didn't know if that would change once she knew the truth.

He arrived and still refused to disclose where he was taking them. Holly was chatting his ear off, Scully amused about how engaged they were in several different conversations. She loved it, but it scared her how easily they were getting along. She didn't know much about him, and the fear of him breaking her heart, both of their hearts, clouded her positive thoughts every passing minute. She was broken from her reverie when the car stopped in the middle of a secluded park. She furrowed her brow, taking in her surroundings.

"We're here." He said with a mysterious grin. Holly beamed at him, knowing what they had talked about earlier. He pulled a few blankets out from the trunk, handling them over to Scully along with a giant picnic basket. Her eyebrow arched even higher, hating that she was the only one who didn't know the plans of the evening. He smiled at her as Holly hopped on his back, not able to walk up the hill with her cast.

Once they reached the top, he laid the blankets out and they all settled closely, enjoying the moment.

"A picnic under the stars? Whose idea was this?" Scully asked as she glanced between them. They both gave her the same sheepish grin and she just smiled and shook her head at them.

"There's supposed to be a few shooting stars tonight, and it's so clear!" Holly finally exclaimed excitedly. She began rambling about different constellations, completely lost in her own thoughts. Scully glanced over at Mulder, and could see the pride shining through his eyes as he gazed upon his daughter. Her stomach began to turn at the thought, hoping they weren't rushing into anything too soon. She startled slightly when she realized he had turned his gaze towards her, and smiled at him shyly. He reached over and placed his hand over hers, intertwining their fingers.

After a nice evening, he drove them back to the apartment, offering to carry Holly inside since she had fallen asleep. She was petite, like her mother, and he cradled her in his arms with ease. He laid her gently in bed, and made his way out to the living room to face a seemingly distant Scully. He could sense a shift in her mood over the course of the evening, and knew she was lost in her thoughts. He only hoped that she wasn't too far gone for him to keep her here.

"Sorry for our addition tonight, I know you wanted to talk alone." She said in a small voice.

"Ah, it's okay, Scully. It's nice to get to know her as much as I can."

"You can ask me anything, you know. If you ever want to know more, about her, I'll tell you."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me." He said as he grasped onto her hand. She stiffened slightly, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Is something else wrong?"

"I don't know. My nerves are getting the best of me, about telling her. The longer I stall, the more I worry that she's going to hate me."

"You know, you're not the only one who has to take on that burden." He said in a small voice. She exhaled deeply, knowing what he was implying.

"Thank you, but it's something I really feel like I have to do alone." She said cautiously. She could feel him stop breathing for a minute, mulling over her words. "Mulder, this doesn't have anything to do with you, I just-"

"No, it has everything to do with me. Why are you pushing me away?"

"I'm not." She said shortly, knowing she was lying. "I just think - it's always been me and her. It might be a smoother conversation if it just comes from me, or if we wait a while."

"Until what...you just push me away enough so I'm not even an issue anymore?"

"That's not -"

"It's fine, Scully. Really. I never wanted to pressure you into anything that you weren't ready for, and I'm sorry if I did. I can't explain it to you, but in the short time I've known that little girl, she's become one of the most important people in my life, please don't take that away from me." He said as his emotions began to get the better of him. He scoffed and grabbed his jacket, slamming the door behind him as he made his brisk exit.

She tried to hold back the tears stinging her eyes, knowing it was her own doing that this had become so complicated. She was confused, and scared, for what having him involved in Holly's life could mean for them. She knew he had gone out of his way to show her how much he cared for them both, but there was something holding her back. She hardly knew him, and now, she didn't know if she had pushed away the last chance that she had to change that.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been almost a week since Holly had enjoyed her evening with Mulder and her mom, and she could sense the shift in Scully's mood. She had done what she always does when something is bothering her, and gone completely inside herself emotionally. She was rather quiet lately, and Holly knew something had happened after they returned home that evening. She also knew her mother would never talk to her, unless she was being over-dramatically annoying about it.

"So...when's Mulder coming over again?" Holly said as she came bouncing into her mother's room, settling herself in the bed next to her. Her cast had just been removed, and she was more than happy to be back on both of her feet. Scully was reading a book before bed, and sighed heavily, knowing the line of questioning that was coming.

"I thought I put you to bed an hour ago." She said accusingly, with an arch of the eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I'm not tired, and it's Friday." She said with a shrug. "Are you going to ignore my question?"

"I'm not ignoring it, I just don't have an answer for you."

"Well, why don't you call him?"

"Because - it's not that simple."

"But we had fun the other night, I thought you guys were dating." She said with a pout, not understanding what the issue was. She knew her mother was still hiding something from her, and was beginning to get annoyed with the secrets.

"I don't know, but it's not anything you need to concern yourself with, okay?" She said as she played with her daughter's unruly curls, her head lying in her lap.

"Fine. Can we talk about whatever you said we have to talk about the other day then?" Scully's hand paused, breath catching in her throat. She wasn't ready to have this conversation, but knew she couldn't avoid it forever.

"Yeah, okay." She said in a small, shaky voice. Holly immediately knew it was something big, but had no idea what she was getting herself into. She sat up, looking at her mother with expectant eyes. Scully nodded, urging herself to finally tell the truth, hoping it might clear her mind. She licked her lips nervously, fighting back the tears in her eyes.

"When you were in the hospital, after the accident, remember how I described to you about how we had to give you blood from someone else, so that you could get better?" She started to explain, having no idea where she was going with this conversation.

"Yeah, the transfusion, right?" Holly said with a puzzled look on her face, just as lost in the discussion as Scully.

"Right, well, usually the best match for a transfusion is an immediate family member, like a sibling, or a parent." She said as her breath hitched on the last word.

"So, you gave me the blood?" Holly asked, still confused, not picking up on what Scully was implying.

"No, we don't have the same blood type. A child always has the same blood type as one of their parents, but you don't match mine, which means..." She explained carefully, as she glanced over at her daughter, waiting for her to put the pieces together. Only she could find the most medical explanation for telling her daughter who her father was. She stopped breathing for a moment when Holly's eyes went wide, realization hitting.

"I thought - You know who my dad is?" She asked frantically, her mind clouded by confusion. Scully nodded slightly in response, unable to hold back the tears when she met her daughter's own wet eyes.

"When they tested him to see if he was a match to donate blood to you, the doctor ran a paternity test, off a suspicion. There's no doubt that he is your father, and when we talked-"

"Wait, you - you've known who my dad is? For how long?" She said as her voice began to rise slightly. Scully winced and let out a heavy breath, anticipating the fight.

"Not long, I promise you. We've just been trying to find the best way to tell you. I didn't know if you'd be mad, or upset, and I'll be honest, I was scared." She said as she reached for her daughter's hand. She didn't return the grasp, but she didn't move away either, which to Scully, was somewhat of a good sign. She knew when it came to dealing with emotions, Holly was her in every way, and that somewhat terrified her.

"So then...who is it?" She asked calmly, her mind still processing everything.

"It's, uh, Mulder." She said in a breathy whisper. Holly's head shot up at the name, her mind now more confused than ever.

"But, he - is that why he's been around lately?"

"Yes, he wants to get to know you, and I want you to know him, but that's completely your choice. We didn't want to pressure you into anything, which is why we wanted to ease you into the idea."

"So, you're not really dating then?" Holly asked, finally gathering her thoughts. Scully closed her eyes, exhaling deeply.

"I don't know, we haven't really talked about us. He's called, since we last saw him, but-"

"Why are you making him go away?" Holly said pointedly, cutting off her mother's words.

"I'm not, it's just a lot to take in, for everyone. I wanted to figure out a plan, I didn't want him to hurt you."

"I want to see him."

"Okay, I can arrange that. How - uh, how do you feel about all of this?"

"I don't know, I guess it's surprising. I've always wondered who he could be, but I like Mulder, so I guess it's fine." She said with a small shrug. Scully reached out to pull her daughter in for a hug, and she came willingly. "How do you feel about it?"

"It's...a complicated situation. We work together, and I don't want to ruin anything if we dated, and it didn't work out. There's too much at risk."

"But, if you both like each other, why wouldn't you be together?"

"It's just not that simple, and nothing you need to concern yourself with. We will figure out a plan, to work out for everyone."

"You know, it could work out for everyone, with you guys together." Holly said with a gleam in her eye, looking up to face her mom. Scully playfully glared her eyes at her, knowing what her intentions were.

"Alright, that's enough talking for tonight. You sure you're okay? You don't have any other questions, or want to know more?" Scully asked in slight disbelief. She was weary about how her daughter was taking the news, but didn't want to challenge it, or make it a bigger deal if it wasn't.

"I might, but not right now. I think, I would just like to see him again, I guess." Holly answered with a shrug. Scully nodded in understanding, knowing what she needed to do next.

She walked Holly back to her room, tucking her into bed, hopefully for good this time. She made her way back to her own room, grabbing the phone off the hook, cradling it in her hands. She stared at it, hoping to find any excuse not to have to call him. She let out a shaky sigh, knowing this was what Holly wanted.

"Yeah, Mulder." He shouted into the phone, answering distractedly. She could hear indistinct talking in the noisy background.

"It's Scully, uh, is this a bad time?"

"Scully?"

"Yeah, I'll just call back." She said sternly as she disconnected the call. She knew it wasn't fair to be mad at him for being out on a Friday night, considering she had been avoiding him all week.

She finally settled herself in bed, sporadic thoughts not allowing her to sleep. She tossed and turned all night, confused about how quickly this day turned completely upside down.

The next morning, Scully roused from the little sleep that she was able to get. She sluggishly made her way into the kitchen to begin making coffee, before noticing the note on the refrigerator. Her stomach began to turn, and her heart dropped. She frantically ripped the note off the fridge, trying to comprehend the words on the paper.

 _Mom,_

 _Don't freak out, I just needed to do this by myself. I'm sorry._

That was it, as if it wasn't a big deal. Scully began pacing the kitchen, gripping the note in her hand, trying to think of a plan. She didn't know where her 10-year-old daughter would have managed to get on her own, but she needed to find answers, fast. She paused, a thought popping into her head as she ran to her key ring. His apartment key was missing, and she let out a heavy sigh, knowing exactly where she was headed. She picked up the phone, nerves rising with every ring.

"Mulder." He answered groggily.

"Is she there?" Scully asked with urgency in her voice. He immediately sobered, knowing something was wrong.

"What happened, what's going on?" He said with a wince, regretting meeting up with old college friends visiting last night. His head was whirling, still intoxicated from the alcohol, another realization settling in. "Did you call me last night?"

"Holly, she - Mulder, she knows. She's not here, and the key I had for your apartment is missing. I, I don't know where she is, or...or-" Her voice began to drift off. She was already starting to get dressed, not really having a plan in mind.

"Okay, uh, she isn't here, yet. Hang on..." He said in a whisper. She could hear him moving around, as if he was leaving to go into another room to talk, and not disturb someone else's sleep. She clenched her jaw, foolish jealously beginning to rise.

"I'm sorry I called, I didn't want to bother you. I'll find her by myself." She said sternly as she hung up the phone. It immediately began ringing back, and she ignored it as she rushed out the door.

Mulder began to compose his thoughts, his mind still whirling in several different directions. He took in his surroundings, knowing this wasn't exactly the best place to have a heart to heart with his daughter. Another thought ran through his mind as Scully's words replayed in his head. _She knows_.

He closed his bedroom door, leaving behind the blonde woman sleeping in his bed. He winced and scolded himself, knowing this entire situation looked horrible to the unknowing eye. He paled at the small knock on the door, willing to do anything to not mess this up.

"Holly? What are you doing here?" He asked sincerely, feigning innocence in his lack of knowledge.

"I, uh, sorry to bother you. I know it's early. My mom and I - she told me." She stammered out, losing all confidence on the way over. He nodded slightly, not knowing how to push past the initial awkwardness of the discovery. He also didn't want to have to face any questions about the stranger sleeping in his bed.

"No, it's okay. Come in for a minute, I'll, uh, get changed and we can go to breakfast." He said hesitantly, trying to find a way out of his apartment. "I should also probably call your mom and let her know-" His voice was cut off by the hard knocking at the door. He exhaled deeply, wishing for him to slip into some black hole, or be abducted to avoid this entire day already. He answered, and could see the unshed tears in Scully's eyes, only masked by the anger on her face. She pushed past him, not even bothering with so much as a hello.

"What the hell were you thinking? You're 10-years-old! How did you even get here anyway?" She began to shout, directing the accusations towards her daughter.

"I took a cab. I didn't want to bother you, and I just wanted to talk to him alone." Holly said with an exhausted sigh. Neither of them had slept the night before, emotions running high.

"I told you I would make those arrangements for you, why couldn't you just listen to me?"

"Maybe because you didn't bother to tell me you even knew who my dad was! I basically had to force it from you."

"Do not raise your voice at me. I understand that you're mad, and I'm sorry that I kept this from you for so long. You're right, I should have told you sooner, but that does not constitute for you running away with so much as a note. I was worried sick, I-" Scully's voice was cut off by the woman who entered the living room. Mulder had been hanging off to the side, not feeling it his place to intervene, even if the argument was about him. His eyes widened at the sight of Ellie, wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts.

"I'm sorry, I can see I'm interrupting. I'm just going to go back into the room and change." Ellie said with her heavy British accent, flashing Mulder and apologetic look.

He nodded silently, feeling suddenly put on trial by the matching gazes staring back at him. Both of them had their eyebrows raised, judging him for the scene that just happened.

"I, uh, we can go to breakfast, and talk." He began to say frantically.

"No, I'm tired." Holly said quickly, feeling confused about everything that had already happened this morning. "I just want to go home." She said in a small voice as she looked up at Scully.

Her heart ached for her daughter, knowing this was exactly what she was trying to avoid by keeping him at a distance. Until she knew exactly what his intentions were, he didn't want to risk her daughter's heart being broken. She knew this entire situation was highly sensitive, and pulled her daughter in for a sideways hug, hoping to ease as much of her troubles as she could manage. She glanced down at her daughter's wet eyes, nodding in agreement that it was their time to leave. She turned her gaze towards Mulder, who was standing nervously on the other side of the room.

"We're going to go, sorry we bothered your morning." Scully said as she began to lead her daughter out the front door. He followed, trying to catch her attention.

"Scully, wait - This isn't, it's not-" He was rambling, fearful for how badly he messed this up in a matter of 5 minutes.

"I'll call you." She said in a small voice, no definite promise behind it.

When the door shut in his face at their exit, he slammed his hand against the wall, angry at himself for being such an idiot. He grunted and plopped onto his couch, throwing his head back in frustration.

"Well good morning to you, too." Ellie said as she made her entrance again, fully clothed this time.

"I'm mad at you. I know it's my fault, but I'm still mad at you." He said with annoyance in his voice, no real meaning behind it.

"Going to enlighten me on who the charming people yelling in your living room so early in the morning were?"

"That would be my daughter, who I just found out I had, and her mother."

"Ouch, I see why I'm having the hatred turned on me. She's cute."

"Yeah, she is." He said with a ghost of a smile touching his lips, thinking of Holly.

"I was talking about her mother." Ellie said teasingly, already sensing how he felt about her.

"Yeah, well I'm pretty sure I messed that up, too."

"She wouldn't be so mad about a gorgeous blonde sleeping in your bed in just a t-shirt if she didn't return the feelings, that's all I'm saying."

"I see being with Amelia has really helped tone down your humility."

"Oh come on, we all know I wear the pants in that relationship, just don't tell her I said that."

"I'll never be able to explain this. The look in Holly's eyes, the disappointment, that's going to haunt me forever."

"Well, what are you doing sitting here talking to me then? Go fix it." She said as she shooed him away. He smiled and kissed her cheek, enjoying having a friend to talk to, even if she was just visiting for a few days.

He stopped by for breakfast and coffee on his way to her apartment. He didn't call, he was more so just hoping for the best. His nerves began to rise to the surface as he approached her door. He could hear the indistinct sounds of the television, and let out a sigh of relief, at least confirming they were home. The rest was up to him. He knocked lightly, and could hear Scully make her way to the door. There was a moment of silence, and he could almost hear her contemplating letting him in. She finally opened the door just enough to to poke her head out.

"It's not a good time, Mulder." She said in a hushed tone. She didn't want Holly to hear, even though she was asleep again in her room.

"Please, Scully. Just...let me explain."

"There's nothing to-"

"Stop, stop dismissing me. I told you, I'm here. You just need to let me be here. I just want to talk." He pleaded. She caught his gaze, and could see the raw emotions surging through him. She nodded and moved aside to allow his entrance.

"I, uh, brought breakfast. I didn't know if you had eaten, but I just - breakfast." He stammered, holding the bag in his hand, guiltily smiling at her.

"Thanks." She said as she took it from him and placed it on the kitchen table. She gestured for him to have a seat on the couch, and joined him, as far away to the other side as she could possibly sit.

"Scully, I know I haven't exactly done anything to make you trust me, or believe me, but what you saw this morning, it's not what I can tell you're thinking." He said frantically.

"Mulder, I don't care who you date, that's not why I'm upset. It's just - it's almost as if you completely dismissed the fact that she knows the truth. She woke up early, took a cab across town to your apartment, to talk to you, and she was greeted by some woman sleeping in your bed. Do you understand now, why I'm so cautious about bringing people around her? It's different, when you're a parent. You can't just bring home whatever girl you pick up at the bar. I dismissed the Phoebe thing, but this is different, she knows now, this-"

"What Phoebe thing?"

"Oh, uh, that night that we had planned to talk after work, I did come to your apartment. I never got off the elevator though. I saw Phoebe leaving, fixing her hair, blouse unbuttoned. I put it all together, and just figured it wouldn't be a good time." She explained carefully. He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.

"I should have told you. Phoebe, she's ambitious, and it's a game to her to see how much she can twist my heart before crushing it in little pieces. She showed up that night, with evidence as a cover, and she kissed me. She threw herself at me, given the routine we've fallen into before. The only difference was that my heart wasn't so susceptible to her tricks, because I thought I was actually with someone who genuinely wanted to be with me, too." He said sincerely, trying to catch her gaze. She was avoiding his eyes, fighting back the tears stinging her own.

"And, uh, the girl from this morning?"

"She's an old friend from college as well. Different kind of friend, she's like a sister to me. I met her and her girlfriend freshman year, they've both been good friends of mine ever since. She's got good taste, she said you were cute." He said lightly, seeing Scully chuckle slightly in disbelief. A small smile touched her lips, still not meeting his eyes.

"You didn't have to explain to me, but thank you." She said as she finally lifted her gaze. They passed silent sentiments between each other, at least in understanding that he wanted to be here, he was committed.

"So, how much does she hate me?"

"Oh, probably as much as she hates me for not telling her sooner. I think she'll come around eventually, she's just figuring out her emotions about the situation right now."

"I thought I was the psychologist here." He teased, lightening the mood. She finally smiled at him, feeling somewhat content in their newest development.

"We'll figure this out, but I still don't want to force her into anything. I'm letting her decide what she wants to do, how she wants to play this, and I need to know that you'll respect that." She said carefully.

"I know, and I will. I just want her to be happy." He said with truth radiating from his voice. She grasped onto his hand on instinct, and he stiffened, startled by the movement. She immediately removed her hand, realizing her action, and he regretted his instant response. He reached out to pull her hand back into his, interlocking their fingers. He brought their hands to his lips, kissing the back of hers, initiating a promise.

They sat contently on the couch for the next hour, enjoying breakfast and watching mindless television. Scully could hear Holly moving around in her room, waking up from her nap. She gave Mulder a nervous look, both preparing themselves for the confrontation.

Holly came in to the living room, groggily taking in her surroundings. She furrowed her brow in confusion, seeing her mom and Mulder sitting on the couch through sleepy eyes.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, joking at the sight in front of her.

"Long enough, Mulder brought breakfast, if you're hungry." Scully said cautiously, trying to gauge her daughter's mood.

"Maybe later." She said as she cuddled on the couch next to Scully, laying into her side. She hugged her tightly, none of them knowing how to break the awkward silence. They watched the television for a while, before Mulder finally spoke.

"I, uh, should be heading out, let you guys enjoy your weekend." He said as he began to get up from the couch.

"Do you have to?" Holly asked in a small voice, barely audible. Scully caught his eyes, leaving the decision up to him.

"No, I don't have anything planned, I just didn't want to overstay my welcome."

"We were planning to have a movie day, just relaxing, if you want to join us." Scully finally said, offering up the invitation on Holly's behalf. He nodded with a shy smile, situating himself back on the couch.

They both knew this was Holly's way of adjusting to the new situation, and didn't want to do anything to discourage her. They all sat in a comfortable silence before Holly finally complained that she was hungry.

"If you want, we could, uh, go to lunch." Mulder said cautiously, not wanting to overstep.

"Alone?" Holly asked expectantly. She didn't want to exclude her mom, but she wanted to have the chance to talk to him.

"Sure, if that's what you want." He said slowly, glancing towards Scully for approval. She simply nodded, attempting to mask her hurt.

"Just, be careful." She said in a small voice so that only Mulder could hear as she walked them to the door. Holly was already bouncing out towards the car, nervous and excited for what this day could bring.

Mulder took her to a nearby diner that he frequented, keeping the setting casual, not wanting to make her feel pressured. The car ride was mostly silent, both avoiding the bigger issue. When they arrived, they situated themselves in the cheap, red vinyl booth, the awkwardness settling around them.

"So, what's your favorite food to eat?" He asked casually.

"I don't know, I love burgers, even though mom makes me try to eat healthy most of the time." She said with a shrug. They ordered their food, both of them giving each other the same sheepish smiles. "We could just skip the awkwardness, and say we all know the truth now."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be awkward. I guess - I just didn't know how you felt about everything." He said with a guilty smile.

"It's definitely a surprise, but I've always been curious, wanted to know."

"I know you may be disappointed with the results, but I'll do my best. I, uh, want to be part of your life, if you'll let me."

"I do, too." She said in a small voice. "Does that mean you're going to date my mom again?" She asked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"That's not entirely up to me, and I'm starting to think there were some ulterior motives to this lunch date." He said playfully glaring at her. She giggled, feigning innocence.

"What did you think, when you found out?" She asked suddenly. He shifted his mood, choosing his words carefully. He knew this day was going to be an emotional rollercoaster as soon as he answered Scully's phone call that morning.

"I don't know, I guess I was shocked. Never, would I have imagined this for myself, but I got to know you, both, and I enjoyed my time with you. That night, when your mom had to work and I came over to hang out with you, that's when I first had my suspicions."

"You've known for that long?" She asked accusingly.

"No, but I thought it was a possibility then. It wasn't until you were in your accident, that's when I found out for sure."

"I have your eyes." She said, speaking the first thought that popped into her head. She didn't really know how to lead this conversation, but she wasn't holding back.

"You do, luckily not my nose though." He said trying to ease the tension. She chuckled, and he reveled in the sound.

"Definitely not your poker skills." She teased back.

"Ha ha, you may have inherited my obsession for ice cream though."

"Don't let mom fool you, she hides the good stuff in the back of the freezer."

He smiled at the ease of their afternoon together, enjoying the time he got to spend with his daughter. He let the words play over in his head. His daughter. This would definitely be a great Christmas card to send to his parents. They made their way back to Scully's apartment, both feeling more comfortable in their newfound relationship. She came bouncing inside, Scully letting out a deep sigh of relief at the happy mood of her daughter. Holly made herself scarce in her room, wanting them to talk alone, keeping her ear to the door.

"How'd everything go?" Scully asked sincerely, wanting to know what they talked about.

"Well, I got her back in one piece. I'd say that's a pretty big accomplishment for me." He said teasingly. She shook her head at him, grin touching her lips.

"Do you, uh, want some coffee?"

"I don't want to impose, I feel like I've already stepped too much into your comfort zone. I was just going to head home, let you guys enjoy the rest of your day."

"Oh, yeah, sure." She said in a hushed voice. He felt more nervous around Scully than Holly. She walked him to the door, and he turned to face her, standing in her personal space.

"Thank you, for today, for everything. I really want to make this work, and I don't exactly have any practice in this area."

"No, it's okay. I'm even still figuring it out." She said with a soft chuckle. "You're not imposing though, she wants you around."

"Do you?" He said stepping closer. Her breath caught in her throat, and they caught each other's gaze. She could see the mixed emotions running through his eyes, and her stomach turned at the way he looked at her.

"Yes." She finally said in a small whisper. He could feel her breath on his mouth, but didn't take that final step. He didn't want to rush them, not again. He couldn't afford pushing her. He just smiled and kissed her forehead gently, putting a promise behind his actions. She nodded against his lips, knowing they needed to take this slowly, whatever this was.

* * *

The next few weeks had passed by quickly, everyone adjusting to their new life. Holly spent more time with Mulder on the weekends, sometimes including Scully. They were all enjoying the transitional period, letting it flow with ease. As much as she loved her life growing up, Holly felt like that missing piece in her heart had been filled.

Mulder had been sent out of town on a case, and it was taking longer than he had anticipated. He made a point to set time aside to call and speak with Holly every day while he was gone. It amused him, how quickly attached he became to this little girl. It almost amused him more than how addicted he was to her mother in the short time that he knew her.

"So, when are you coming back?" Holly asked curiously. He had promised to take her to the museums when he got back, and she was getting impatient.

"Hopefully tomorrow, just in time for the weekend."

"Finally, you've been gone forever. Oh, mom wanted to talk to you. I'll talk to you later." She said, handing the phone over to Scully.

"Hey, how's the case going?"

"It's exhausting, I feel like we're nowhere near catching the guy, and the evidence just doesn't make any sense to me anymore. I'm looking at these victims, but I can't find any similarities that would narrow down who this guy is."

"There's no commonalities between type of victims, or where they were taken from?"

"No, they've all been taken from different areas, and discovered in different parts of the state, and-" He said as his voice cut off quickly.

"Mulder?"

"Where they were found. They were all in different locations, but all found in abandoned construction sites. That's the key, the common factor. Scully, I love you, you're a genius. I've gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow." He said sporadically as he began to piece evidence together, disconnecting the call.

Scully stayed on the phone, holding it to her ear, completely shocked by what just happened. She played his words over and over in her head, hoping she heard him wrong. She thought maybe he was caught up in the moment, and dismissed the meaning that she was adding to his notion.

The next day had come and gone, and she hadn't heard from him. By the time evening approached, Holly was driving her crazy, asking where Mulder was.

"I don't know, he said he would call." Scully said annoyed.

"Yeah, but he said he'd hopefully be home today, and he would have called by now."

"Fine, I'll call him, but I don't want to bother him if he's working."

"Deal." Holly said with finality, anticipating the call. Scully rolled her eyes as she dialed his number.

"Hello?" An unfamiliar woman's voice answered. Scully's stomach turned, wanting to hang up right away.

"Uh, hi, I'm looking for Mul - Fox Mulder." She said sternly.

"Are you family?"

"Yes, I am." She said glancing towards her daughter.

"I'm a nurse here at the hospital, he was admitted this afternoon. He didn't have an emergency contact, and we didn't know who to call."

"What happened?" Scully asked, trying to mask the fear in her voice, knowing Holly was listening.

"I only know what's in his charts, as far as the event that brought him in, I'm not sure. He was brought in with a GSW to the chest. The doctor's were able to repair the wound and the internal damage. He's in recovery right now."

"Wh - What hospital was he admitted to?" She asked in a small voice, replaying the information in her head. She got the details from the nurse, and avoided her daughter's immediate questions, making another quick call.

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?" Holly asked pointedly.

"Mulder was involved in an accident, at work. He's in the hospital, so I'm going to go see him, and Grandma is going to come stay with you until I get back."

"Why can't I go with you?"

"Because I don't know how bad his injuries are, and, honey-" She said with a deep sigh. "I don't want you to ever have to see him like that. I will call you as soon as I get there, and I'll let you know any changes that happen, okay?"

Holly nodded silently, confused about the emotions flushing through her. She never had to worry about her mother's work, she was in the lab, or in a hospital, somewhere safe. This - this was different for her. She was worried, and scared for what could happen to him, but she knew her mom was right, she wouldn't want to see him like that.

Scully made her way to Minneapolis, heading straight to the hospital from the airport. She hardly packed anything, lost in her worry for him. When she arrived, she used her FBI status to gain access to his charts, reading them over to make sure there was nothing they missed. She had spoken to another agent to find out what happened. After his thought frenzy when they spoke last night, he had a suspect. He followed a hunch, tracking down the guy with no backup. The standoff with the perp ended with a gunshot to Mulder's chest, and a bullet through the suspect's head. Case closed.

She approached his room, shakily opening the door, afraid to see him like this. She walked slowly towards his bedside, holding back the tears daring to escape her eyes. He heard her enter and opened his eyes slightly, smiling groggily at her.

"You're awake." She said in a relieved breath.

"You're here." He said in a rough voice, still waking up.

"Holly was getting impatient from not hearing from you, so I promised I'd call. I spoke with the nurse who had your belongings, and she let me know what happened."

"And now you're here."

"I am, but I didn't bring Holly. She wanted to come, but I didn't want her to see you like this. I, uh, spoke to another agent, he told me what you did." She said accusingly, eyebrow arching, arms crossing.

"Scully, I-"

"Was incredibly stupid. How could you go in there, after an armed suspect, without backup?! What would have happened if you weren't so fortunate, what would I have told Holly? You can't be so careless! Dammit, Mulder...you can't do this to us again!" She huffed out a frustrated breath. Her emotions got the best of her, clouding her better judgement on how she hoped to handle this situation.

"To be fair, I didn't know he was armed. I'm sorry, that I worried you both, I'm - this is still new for me. I'm so used to just doing my own thing, I know I need to think about other people now. I was just so lost in finally catching a break in the case, I ran with it and jumped into action."

"I'm serious, Mulder. Holly's going out of her mind right now, she's so worried about you. I called her when I got here, and told her I'd call again once you woke up."

"And you, are you worried about me, too?" He said with a gleam shining through his tired eyes. She pursed her lips, masking the smirk touching the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, I was worried about you, too." She said, bowing her head to hide the tinge of color touching her cheeks.

"Well, I'm just asking because you said not to do that to 'us' again. I'm assuming that includes you."

"What do you want me to say? That I was worried about you when I heard you were admitted for a gunshot wound, that my heart sank at the thought of losing you. Fine, you got me." She scoffed, maintaining her stubborn stance.

"Come here." He said softly, coaxing her towards him by reaching out for her hand. She glared at him before stepping closer, grasping onto his extended hand, situating herself in the seat next to his bed.

"Mulder, I need to ask you something, because it's been running through my mind since yesterday, and I'm afraid the more I dwell on it, I'll overthink it without any answers, and -"

"Scully, you can ask me anything." He said with a sincere smile. She met his eyes, nodding at his truth.

"Yesterday, when we were talking about the case, you were so excited, and maybe you were just caught up in the moment, but you-"

"Said I love you."

"Yeah. You didn't, uh, I mean-" She let out a heavy sigh. She had never been this nervous around a guy before, but she had also never felt this strongly for someone.

"If you're asking if I meant it, yes, I did. I didn't exactly plan to blurt it out like that, while talking about a serial murderer, but the meaning was intentional."

"Oh." She said softly, lost in her own thoughts. He began to worry, her one-worded answer not easing his fear. He knew this was too soon for her, and didn't want to push, but she asked, she needed to know.

"Scully, we can ignore it, if that's what you want, if you're not ready. I know we've hit some roadblocks, but my feelings for you and my intentions haven't changed. In the beginning, I told you that I was here for both of you, and I still mean that."

"No, I don't want to ignore it. I don't want to dismiss it, or dismiss you anymore. I was scared, when you first came around. I found myself falling for you, and I didn't want something that happened between us to jeopardize anything with Holly. I guess, it's just reassuring to know what your intentions are." She said in a small voice. He gripped onto her hand tighter, gesturing for her to look up at him.

"I do love you, both of you. I'm willing to take that risk with us, if you are." He said confidently. She licked her lips nervously, and nodded to herself. She leaned over and hovered just above his face, her lips barely grazing his.

"Don't do that to us again, I mean it." She said sternly. He chuckled softly and smiled before closing the gap between them. Their lips glided together, and she melted into his embrace. This wasn't what her intentions were coming here, but she's glad that this was how the evening ended for them. When they separated, they smiled at each other, anticipating what was to come for their newly developed, unconventional family.


	6. Chapter 6

"Mulder, you need someone to help you with the recovery. Why are you fighting this?" Scully said exhaustedly, hands on her hips.

"I just don't want to impose on your space. I'll be fine, I promise." He pleaded.

"You're coming to stay with us, until you're fully recovered. Stop challenging it, you're not going to win. Don't make me call Holly." She said with finality. He let out a heavy sigh, holding back the smirk touching his lips. He loved seeing her like this, taking charge.

"That's not playing fair, she's tougher than you are." He pouted, flashing her that puppy dog look she couldn't resist. She smiled and leaned down to place a lingering kiss on his lips.

"There could be more of that if you stop arguing with me." She said in a sultry tone. His eyes widened slightly, arousal gleaming through. She chuckled at his response, and he playfully glared his eyes at her.

"You're really convincing when you want to be."

"I know." She said in a husky voice. "Let me talk to the doctor and see when I can take you home." She said as she left the room.

He had been in the hospital for several days, and Scully had spent every minute by his side. They talked, about almost everything, feeling more comfortable moving forward in their own relationship. They had agreed to keep their romance to themselves, wanting to be sure before getting Holly's hopes up. It was a tricky situation, for everyone, and there was too much at risk to jeopardize anything.

They made their way home the next day, her having to help him maneuver around and take things slowly. When they entered the apartment, Holly's eyes lit up and she immediately came bouncing towards him.

"He's injured, be careful." She scolded her daughter. Mulder and Holly settled on the couch, catching up on everything they've missed in the last week. Scully smiled as she met her mother in the kitchen, giving them space.

"It's nice, that he's here." Maggie said nonchalantly. Scully rolled her eyes, already knowing what her mother was implying.

"I know Holly is excited to have him stay here for a few days. She missed him."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"I'm glad that he's here, it's good for them." She said distractedly. She finally glanced up to see the look her mother was giving her, and let out a heavy sigh. "We are, trying, the dating thing again. We don't want Holly to know, because we don't want to get her hopes up for anything. Satisfied?"

"I just want you to be happy, dear. I'm glad that things are going so smoothly though." Maggie said with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. She left them all alone, knowing they needed the time together.

Scully sat next to Mulder on the couch, close enough for them to be comfortable, but far enough apart where Holly wouldn't suspect anything. She was enjoying having both of her parents around more, since she found out the truth. She hoped, as any child would, that her parents would be together, but knew she didn't want to keep pushing the subject.

They watched movies for the rest of the evening, sitting comfortably together, as a family. Holly fell asleep on the couch, and Scully had to wake her to move her to bed. Mulder felt guilty that he couldn't do more to help, but he was in no shape to be lifting anything more than a piece of paper. She returned from Holly's room, letting out a heavy yawn.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep, too. It's been a long few days." She said with a soft voice, gently playing with his hair, standing between his legs as he was seated on the couch.

"Thank you, for letting me be here. I don't just mean in my recovery, I mean in general." He said as he pulled her down to sit next to him. She chuckled at the sudden movement, cuddling into his side, being careful of his bandages.

"I'm really glad you're here. I know she is, too." She said as she stretched up to face him. He smiled at her and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips. She cradled his head, stroking his cheek softly with her thumb.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything."

"Why Holly?" He asked with genuine interest. She smiled, separating from his embrace to reach over to the table next to the couch. She grabbed a book and handed it to him wordlessly.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's." He said with a small smile of amusement.

"It's one of my favorites. When I found out it was a girl, it's the first name that popped into my head. Holly Margaret Scully. I think it suits her."

"Yeah, it does." He said in a small voice, lost in his own thoughts. For some reason, the mention of her full name caused a guilt to twist in his stomach. Nothing about her, other than a few personality quirks, was him. She could see the change in demeanor, and immediately knew that some sort of doubt was running through his mind.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just -" He let out a heavy sigh. "I wasn't there, and I'm always going to feel like I missed so much. I never thought about having kids of my own, but I look at her, and I don't know. There's this regret for missing some of the most important moments."

"I looked for you, you know, after I found out. My sister was dating one of the guys who you were staying with. They only knew that you were visiting from overseas, but didn't have anymore information." She said in a small voice.

"You really wanted me to know?" He asked in disbelief. She leaned up to face him again.

"Of course I did. I didn't expect anything from you, but I wanted you to at least know." He stiffened slightly at her words, letting a knew thought rush through his mind.

"Do you expect anything from me now?" He asked with a slight more bitterness than he anticipated. Her brow furrowed in confusion, but as she opened her mouth to say something, he began to speak again. "I just mean, I know you're happy that I'm around for her, and that we're getting to know each other, but if I were to just disappear, would you even be surprised? Do you expect me to be at school events, career day, or...or whatever the hell else there is to attend? What about financially?" He said as his anger was clouding his mind.

"Mulder, where is this coming from?" She asked cautiously, trying to mask her own annoyance to avoid the escalation of the issue.

"I just want to know what it is that you really want from me."

"Fine. No, I don't expect anything from you, given the situation. Do I want you to be there for all of that? Of course I do, and I know she does. It's always been me and her, but we both want you to be around. No, I'm not going to come after you for financial back pay, or expect you to support us now. I don't want that, I just want you to be here. I'm tired, I'm going to bed. Let me know if there's anything else you need help with." She said with finality, separating from him.

He let out a heavy sigh, knowing this rift was his doing. He didn't mean to have an outburst, there's just so many things running through his mind. It was a delicate situation for everyone, and he didn't always handle it in the best way. He could hear her getting ready for bed, and made an attempt to get off the couch to talk to her before she fell asleep. He didn't want her to let this mull over in her mind for too long. He eventually got off the couch, and had to take a minute to gather his breath. He slowly made his way down the hallway to her bedroom, opening it gently.

"Mulder?" She asked as she saw him leaning against the doorframe. She was turning back her covers, and immediately ran to his side to make sure he was okay. "What the hell are you doing up?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being an idiot, but I feel like I already faced my punishment making this trip." He said lightly. She chuckled and shook her head at him as she helped him sit on the end of her bed.

"Let me take off your shirt so I can check your bandages." She said softly. He had an innuendo at the tip of his tongue, but thought it better to keep quiet for now. She began examining him, changing the dressings of his wounds. He enjoyed relishing in the moment to watch her work.

"Everything check out okay?"

"It's healing nicely, you should be good as new in a few weeks."

"Scully, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to explode like that, especially since you've been nothing but accommodating." He said as he coaxed her to come stand between his legs. He placed his hands on her hips, resting his head on her stomach with a heavy sigh. She smiled at the action, enjoying the new shift in their relationship. She ran her hand gently through his hair in a comforting gesture that her daughter loved.

"It's okay, Mulder. We're all adjusting, and I want you to feel comfortable talking about anything with me. There's going to be things that come up that we need to discuss, hopefully without arguing."

"You're a good mom. She's lucky to have you." He said genuinely as he glanced up at her. She smiled and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on his lips. He pulled her in closer by her waist, and she deepened the embrace.

"It's getting late, you should be resting."

"Please don't make me walk back to the couch, that was like a marathon." He pouted at her as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm starting to think this was all a ruse for you to get into my bed."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." He leered at her. She chuckled and helped him stand to his feet. He was startled when she led him to the side of the bed. "Scully?"

"I'm too tired to help you back out there, and I'm not leaving you to fend for yourself. You'll sleep better in the bed anyway." She said in a soft voice.

They both situated themselves into bed comfortably. There was an anxious energy hanging over the room, this being a big step for both of them. She turned off the small desk lamp next to her bed, settling back into her spot.

"Thank you, again, for everything." He said in a sleepy voice. "Good night, Scully."

She smiled and turned to face him, cuddling slightly into his side. He smiled at the sudden movement, fully relaxing into their closeness.

"Goodnight, Mulder."

The next morning, Scully had woken up early and began making breakfast. She had a permanent smile on her face from how she spent her evening, and was startled when Holly appeared in the kitchen.

"Good morning, honey. I'm making breakfast, it'll be ready soon." She said in a sincere voice, too chipper for Holly that early in the morning.

"Where's Mulder?" She asked sleepily, still waking up.

Scully paused in her movements, realizing now how the situation looked. She knew this was going to be hard to hide with him in her apartment for a few days, but didn't think she'd have to face it so soon.

"He's, uh, still asleep."

"I thought he was sleeping on the couch?"

"I just figured he'd be more comfortable in the bed. Do you want waffles or pancakes this morning?" She asked quickly, hoping to move on from the subject. Holly situated herself in the seat with a persistent look on her face. She knew this conversation was long from being over.

"Did you sleep in the bed with him?" She asked with a expectant gleam in her eye. Scully let out a heavy sigh.

"Yes, I did."

"So...you're dating again?"

"We are taking things slowly, seeing how they work out. We don't want to risk anything, and both of us agreed that your needs are the most important thing to us. We have your feelings in our best interest, and-" She paused when she heard Mulder moving around in the room. She excused herself to help him, relieved for the escape from this conversation.

She entered the room quietly, letting him wake up with ease. He sat up in the bed with some difficulty, wincing at the pain. He exhaled deeply, urging himself to stand on his feet alone.

"Don't you dare, I can see you contemplating it." She said sternly as she made her way over to him. He smiled guiltily at her, letting out a small chuckle.

"Well good morning to you, too, Scully." He teased as she approached. She began checking his bandages, relieved that he was healing appropriately.

"I, uh, had to undergo an interrogation this morning. Your tenacious child had a lot of questions about us sharing the same bed last night." She said distractedly as she helped clean up his wound.

"What did you say?" He asked cautiously, wanting to know how she felt about it himself.

"I diverted from the issue. She asked if we were dating again, I just told her that we were taking things slowly. I didn't really have an answer for her."

"Are you, uh, questioning what we're doing here?"

"No, I mean, I know we talked about it, I just-"

"When I said I love you, I wasn't saying it lightly. I'm here, for both of you, if you'll let me be." He said as he gently caressed her hips. She smiled in concession, knowing she was allowing her own fear from letting her fall completely in love with this man. She just nodded and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

"We should probably join Holly, before she starts making up her own ideas about what's happening in here." She said as she rolled her eyes. She helped him up and down the hallway, settling him on the couch.

Holly bounced towards them, sitting beside Mulder, already talking his ear off. Scully resumed her position in the kitchen, making breakfast for her family. The idea brought a smile to her face, finally feeling content with everything that had come to light in the recent months.

While Mulder was staying with them during his recovery, they had all fallen into somewhat of a routine. Since he was getting his strength back and moving around easier, he helped with the morning duties of getting her ready for school, and picked her up when Scully had to work late. Holly was enjoying the time that she was spending with him, getting to know more about the other half of her life.

He had a check-up that cleared him for full duty again, also meaning that he could move back to his apartment. He hadn't called Scully to let her know the results yet, hoping to stall his leave. She had called to say she would be home late, so he had more time to spend with Holly before he had to make any adjustments.

"We're going back to San Diego for Christmas this year, I'm really excited to see my friends again." Holly said cheerfully, talking about their plans for the holiday break coming up. His stomach began to turn, realizing it's something they haven't even talked about.

"Do you guys have any holiday traditions?" He asked genuinely, wanting to know how they spent their time with her family. He usually spent his holidays alone, but thought having a makeshift family this year would change his plans.

"We open one present on Christmas Eve, then the rest in the morning. Grandma usually cooks a lot of food, and there's a bunch of people from the neighborhood that stop by. But this year it's going to be at my Uncle Bill's house, so it might be different." She said with a shrug, not fully engaging in the conversation. "Do you do anything for the holidays?" She asked, suddenly realizing that this year would be different in more than one way.

"Not really. My mother sometimes will go and visit her sister, so I'm usually just home."

"By yourself? What about your dad?"

"We're not really close, I don't talk to him a lot."

"Will, uh, I ever meet them?" She asked in a small voice. He froze, not knowing how to handle this situation, considering he hadn't spoken to either of his parents about the newest developments in his life.

"If that's something you want, I can set it up for you." He said carefully, only hoping he wasn't making empty promises.

"I just, know my mom's family, I grew up with them. I don't really know anything about you, or your family. It would probably help for my family tree project due before the holidays."

"Sure, we can work on it soon. You can ask me, you know, if you have any questions about anything."

"Yeah, I might. I don't right now, but, thanks." She said with a sincere smile. He had so many mixed emotions running through him, confused about several things.

When Scully finally arrived home, she was exhausted from the newest heavy case that had come her way. Holly was already asleep, and Mulder had too much time to sit alone with his thoughts, which never led to anything good. She plopped down on the couch next to him, throwing her head back on the cushions, spent from her day.

"Difficult case?" He asked flat toned, biting back the anger forming in his mind.

"That's one word for it. I feel like there's bodies that keep turning up every minute." She huffed.

"Do you have another long day tomorrow?"

"I won't know until I get in. I have some things to finish up from today, but so far it should be a normal schedule for me."

"Okay, good. I, uh, got the clearance from my doctor, so I'll be going in tomorrow for a meeting."

"That's great, I'm sure you're happy to get back to work, I know you've been going stir-crazy cooped up here all day." She said casually as she took of her jacket, settling back on the couch, cuddling into his side.

"Yeah." He said distantly. "I guess that means I can head back to my apartment, too. I'm sure I've overextended my stay."

"Oh, right. I guess I hadn't thought about that."

"I was actually thinking I'd head back tonight, so I'm fully prepared for tomorrow." He said as he began to separate from their embrace. She stiffened, sensing that something else was on his mind.

"Is there something else wrong?"

"Were you going to tell me about going back to San Diego for Christmas?" He said with a harsh tone. She winced, letting out a heavy sigh.

"She's just excited, we only talked about it yesterday on the way to school. I'm sorry that I didn't mention it. I've been so caught up in this case, it wasn't really an immediate thought." She began to stammer, feeling guilty.

"I was just asking, since she brought it up. I, uh, don't really do anything for the holidays, but I'd like to spend some part of it with Holly."

"Why are you acting like you're not going to see her, just because you're going back to your apartment."

"Well, my time with her is going to change, I already know that. The holidays are just another thing I guess we haven't talked about."

"If you would stop jumping to conclusions and letting the doubt cloud your mind, I could tell you that you've been invited to go with us to San Diego. I didn't want to tell Holly, in case you had your own plans. You can do what you want, the invitation is there." She said sternly as she got up from the couch. He sighed, knowing he was being an idiot.

"Scully, wait. I'm sorry. You're right, I'm just being an ass, and you don't deserve that." He said as he stood to wrap his arms around her. She glared at him, arms crossed in a stubborn stance.

"I just hate feeling like you're always finding ways to make me the bad guy. I'm not trying to exclude you, I really just haven't even thought about it."

"I know, I believe you." He said as he placed a quick kiss on her lips. "We'll figure it out."

"She wants you to be there, and...so do I." She said with a coy smirk. He smiled at her and nodded in resignation, leaning down to place a more lingering kiss on her lips. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening their embrace.

"You know, I could probably just set the alarm early for tomorrow, spend an extra night here." He leered at her. She chuckled and shook her head at him, leading him into the bedroom.

* * *

Mulder's transition back to work was easy, him not taking any cases that would lead him out of town, or send him chasing armed suspects. He knew he had to tone down his antics, for Holly, for Scully. He spent several evenings out of the week staying over at their place, spending as much of his extra time as he could with both of them. As the holidays approached, the subject of him joining them had come up, and he confirmed that he would be making the trip to San Diego as well. Holly was ecstatic, while her parents had their own reservations. Scully was nervous about fully including him into their lives, meeting her family. It seemed like another big step into their relationship, and she didn't know if she was ready for that. They hadn't even fully engaged in full intimacy, again, and she was getting ready to introduce him to every member of her family. Mulder was nervous that he was hated, for being the man who abandoned her, even though he didn't know. He knew the first impression was already soured, and just hoped that wouldn't be held against him. They hadn't really talked about it since he agreed to go, but knew it was a conversation that needed to be had.

After a few weeks back to his regular work load, he was brought in for a quiet meeting. They asked him to go undercover, on special request from the senator. Given that he was a brilliant profiler, one of the best, and unattached, they deemed him the perfect candidate for this specific assignment. He was instructed to seduce a member of the State Department, suspecting she was sharing inside information. They wanted him to get to know her well enough to profile her, as well as hopefully gain her trust. Mulder's stomach began to turn during the briefing, knowing this was more a favor to a friend. He let out a deep sigh, confusion about how to proceed running through his mind. He was specifically ordered to not disclose anything about the case, or the fact that he was undercover to anyone, creating an immense amount of guilt already twisting inside of him. He had already spoken with Scully briefly, asking if he could come over that evening, given his case went live the next morning.

"Do you like being back at work?" Holly asked curiously as they settled on the couch, watching some television before bed time while Scully took a shower.

"Yeah, it's been nice, keeps me busy." He said nonchalantly. He exhaled deeply, knowing what he needed to do. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay...?"

"I have to go out of town for a little bit. I probably won't be able to call a lot, if at all. I don't want you to worry, I'm going to be back home as soon as I can, I just wanted to let you know."

"Is it for work?"

"I'm just doing my friend a favor, and I don't know how long it's going to take."

"Yeah, okay." She said in a shaky voice. She was confused about how this made her feel, worried for him being away. He knew this was not the best way to handle the situation, but he didn't want to completely just disappear.

They sat in a somewhat awkward silence until it was ready for her to go to bed. Scully could sense a shift in mood from them both, but didn't want to ask just yet. They both put her to bed, Mulder taking more time than he normally does. She had left the room to let them talk, knowing her conversation was coming. She settled herself on the couch, waiting anxiously.

"So, do we need to talk, too?" She asked in a small voice. He let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes in resignation.

"Yes, but it's not anything as horrible as I'm sure whatever ideas are running through your mind."

"Do I have to guess?"

"I need to leave for a while. A close friend of mine needs a favor, and I'll be out of reach. I don't know how long it's going to take, or if I'm going to be able to contact you while I'm gone. I already talked to Holly, explained as much as I could." He began to say frantically.

"Okay..." She said in a small whisper.

"That's all? Just okay?"

"I don't know what you want me to say. Do you want me to tell you that I'm not going to be worried every minute that you're gone? Or, or that I'm not letting my mind wander to what the hell you're doing? I can't do that. I don't know how I feel about it, or how I have the right to feel. I just-"

He cut off her words with his lips, laying her down gently as his body covered hers. Their lips glided together firmly, both needing the contact. She began to frantically unbutton his shirt, as his hands began to run up her body, moving her shirt with them. She quickly separated from him, knowing where this was already heading.

"Bedroom." She said in a breathy whisper. He grinned at her, nodding as he helped her from the couch. She yelped as he spun her around, lifting her up and carrying her to the room as she wrapped her legs around him, resuming their kissing.

He laid her on the bed, both of them removing their tops. He hovered over her, taking in the sight of her pale, soft skin. He leaned down to kiss the top of her breast, and she shivered at the contact. He kissed the sensitive spot on her neck, just below her ear, trailing kisses from across her chest, down to her belly button. Her breath was becoming shallow and rapid with each touch of his lips on her skin. She couldn't take the slow attention anymore, it was driving her crazy to not have him inside her already. She reached out and unbuttoned his pants, pushing them down frantically.

"A little eager there, Scully." He said with an amused grin.

"Shut up, Mulder." She said as she reached up to capture his lips again. He chuckled into her mouth, removing her pajama bottoms and underwear slowly.

She deepened the kiss, her breath hitching as he moved his hands down between her legs. She let out a small whimper as his fingers entered her, feeling her readiness for him. As his hand began to move, her breathing became rapid, panting with his rhythm. He could feel her tighten around him, close to climax.

"Mulder..." She moaned into his mouth. He kissed her harder as she released around him, holding her closely as she spasmed with her orgasm. She took heavy breaths to control her breathing, eyes fluttering open to see the amused look on his face. She flashed him a sly smirk as she crawled on him catlike, straddling his lap, teasing his erection at her slick center.

"Well this looks familiar." He teased. She chuckled and rolled her eyes, leaning down to enclose her lips on his. His hands moved with feather soft strokes down her body, resting on her hips, moving her to settle right on him.

She smiled into his mouth, anticipating what was to follow. She situated herself in a more comfortable position, allowing his entrance. She gasped at the initial contact, resting her forehead on his. She began to move against him, his grip on her waist tightening. Her breasts bounced against his chest, and he was losing himself completely within her. He knew he wouldn't last like this, and flipped them suddenly, never breaking contact.

He began thrusting into her slowly, moving deeper each time. Their breathing became heavy, both soon reaching the point of complete ecstasy. He could feel her tighten around his member again, her mouth opening, letting out a small moan. That was all he needed. He thrusted harder, faster, as she reached her release. The indistinct sounds of pleasure coming from her as she rode out her orgasm was what pushed him over that edge, emptying himself inside of her.

He reluctantly separated from her, laying exhaustedly on his back beside her. He pulled her into his side, and she came willingly. She cuddled in, wrapping her arm around him, head resting on his chest.

"I think we get better each time." He said after finally composing his breathing. She chuckled against him in amusement.

"Considering that was only the second time we've done that, and the first time I was only 18, I'd say I'm inclined to agree."

"Well at least this time you didn't get sick."

"Oh god, I completely forgot about that. I was so embarrassed." She groaned as she buried her head into him. She could feel the rumble of his chest as he chuckled at the memory.

"Nah, it was kind of cute."

"I remember you rubbing my back, to comfort me when I was getting sick."

"Did I? I think I've lost some game over the years then."

"You're doing alright." She said as she leaned back to face him. He smiled at her and kissed her, both of them melting into the embrace.

They situated themselves again, both of them slowly drifting off to sleep. Mulder's mind wouldn't allow him to fully relax, knowing he was walking away from this family that he built. He didn't want to hide anything from them, but also knew he would be risking this case if he mentioned anything more than the cover story they built for him. After he could sense that Scully had fallen completely asleep, he gently removed himself from her embrace, reluctantly leaving her side.

He glanced down at her, sleeping so peacefully, and smiled at the serene look on her face. The guilt began to cloud this moment of bliss, and he could only hope that she wouldn't hold this against him. He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, and she subconsciously hummed at the contact.

As he got redressed, and approached the door, he turned back to take in the sight of her, implanting it forever in his memory in case he never had the pleasure to witness this again. He stopped by Holly's room, placing a gentle, parting kiss on her forehead as well. He gathered the rest of his things, closing the apartment door behind him softly, leaving his family in the dark.

Scully roused the next morning, reaching over to the emptiness in the bed next to her. She furrowed her brow as her eyes opened slightly, taking in her surroundings. She was still completely lost and intoxicated from their connection last night, knowing this was a positive step for them. It brought her back to the forgotten night on the beach all those years ago, butterflies in her stomach still the same. She grabbed her robe and made her way into the kitchen to begin coffee. She didn't find Mulder anywhere, but didn't think twice about it. She called him, only to have her heart sink at the error message talking back at her, saying the number was disconnected.

Her mind was in a whirlwind of emotions, not knowing what to do. She knew he said he had to leave for a while, but didn't expect it to be so sudden, especially after the night they shared. Another thought popped into her head, furthering the doubt in her mind. Last night was intentional, he knew he was walking away this morning and this was his sendoff. An odd sense of dejavu began to cloud her mind and tears stung her eyes. Everything about his description of where he would be was too ambiguous for her to find any comfort in, and the worry began to surge through her. She could hear Holly moving around in her room, and composed herself, being strong for her daughter, for both of them.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Mulder had disappeared, and Holly was beginning to question his whereabouts. Scully spent many nights calming her crying daughter, her heart aching for her, and angry that she didn't have answers herself. They had fallen back into a regular routine, just the two of them, as it's always been.

Scully had been stressed, and took the opportunity for a night out when her friend invited her. She needed to step away from the mess that was her current situation, and felt that getting away from it for a minute was exactly what she needed. They settled themselves in a small booth at a local restaurant, engaging in casual conversations, catching up on life. Scully avoided the subject of Mulder, not wanting to finally let her emotions completely take over her.

Just as their evening was ending, and the restaurant was clearing out, Scully made her way to the restroom before heading home. When she came out, the sight before her made her stop in her stride, hoping her eyes were deceiving her. Mulder was sitting at the bar, closely whispering into the ear of some busty brunette. They were flirtatiously smiling at each other, her practically sitting in his lap. He turned to gain the attention of the bartender, his eyes widening as he caught sight of Scully. They held each other's gaze, her jaw clenching and the tears threatening to escape her eyes. She huffed and made her way back to the table, telling her friend that she needed to leave right away. She made a quick escape outside, the cold air stinging her skin, making her finally let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

She stood on the curb, waiting for a cab, pacing in the front of the restaurant. Mulder came outside calmly, resting his hand on the small of her back as he leaned in to whisper lowly into her ear.

"Follow me." He said with urgency in his voice. She glared at him, but let out a sigh as she saw the pleading look in his eyes. He led her to the side of the building, into the shadows. "Scully, I know this looks bad."

"Bad? That's the only word you could come up with. You left me, and my daughter, with broken hearts. Do you know how much she's missed you? She asks me, every night, if I've heard from you, and I have nothing to tell her. All I can do is comfort her, since you disappeared without even saying goodbye. Your excuse for your absence is crap, and clearly a lie. At least now I have an answer for her." She scoffed as she began to leave.

He pinned her against the wall of the building with his body, leaning in closely so only she could hear his words.

"It's killing me, that I can't even call you. I've been living off the memory of our night together, just to get me through each day. I miss Holly like crazy, and it's eating me alive that she probably thinks I've abandoned her, again. I hate this, but I can't leave." He growled into her mouth. She was breathing rapidly, her mind wandering sporadically.

"That's such bullshit, and excuse me for not believing you after what I just saw. Look, if we moved too fast, or I'm not what you want, then fine. But do not take this out on that little girl. She adores you, and she wants her father around. I'm sorry if I pressured you, or if I pushed you into a relationship you weren't ready for, or-"

"Dammit, Scully." He growled as he enclosed his lips on hers forcefully. His tongue demanded entrance, forcing its way into her mouth. He leaned his body as firmly as he could against her, leaving no room between them. He devoured her, like the taste of her was his only source of life. As angry as she was, she melted into his embrace, pulling him into her by his shirt collar. Their breathing became shallow, neither moving away from their closeness. He abruptly separated from her, a feral look shining in his eyes.

"I'm jeopardizing everything, but you need to know. I'm on an undercover assignment, only a few people know about it. It's almost done, I'm closing in on her at an event tomorrow. If everything goes accordingly, I'll be home tomorrow night. Do not ever doubt how I feel about you again." He whispered into her mouth. Their lips lingered before each other's, not touching.

She was still breathing heavily, eyes wild with arousal and confusion. She finally met his eyes, passing silent emotions with their gaze. She slightly nodded and he kissed her forehead before leaving without another word. She stood in the darkness of the shadows, completely dumbfounded by the events that just transpired. The only thing she knew for sure was that she would be thinking about nothing other than that kiss until tomorrow evening.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Scully was going out of her mind, waiting for any small ounce of contact from Mulder. It was the weekend, and she didn't have work to distract her thoughts, so she began cleaning every inch of her apartment. Holly sat on the couch, watching her mother work around her in an anxious frenzy, knowing better than to break her from her actions. Scully was moving boxes around, trying to clear some closet space, setting miscellaneous objects in front of Holly. She began going through some of the boxes, smiling as she rummaged through old photo albums.

"Hey, look. It's from my first Christmas." Holly said excitedly. Scully paused in her cleaning, welcoming the break.

"You made a mess in the first outfit I had you in, I think this was the third option. Luckily, you were spoiled and I think everyone bought you a dress that year." Scully said, chuckling at the memory.

"Who's that?" Holly asked as she pointed to Marcus. Scully winced, forgetting that part of her past. As her pregnancy advanced, he would go out of his way to be by her side, helping her in any way that he could. Part of him still believed that the baby was his, and knew he made a mistake when he cheated on her at the end of their senior year. She allowed him to be around to help, feeling lonely. After that first Christmas, she knew it wasn't right, keeping him around, and parted ways officially.

"That's, uh, my friend Marcus."

"Boyfriend?"

"No, not at that time. We did date in high school, but we broke up at the end of the year."

"Before you met my dad?" Holly asked suddenly, causing Scully's breath to catch. It was the first time she had addressed him that way, and she didn't want to discourage her daughter from the notion. Holly needed a sense of closeness to him, given that he's been gone, without contact, for the past few weeks. It was her way of finding some reassurance in their current situation.

"Yeah, right before I met him actually." She said as she played with her daughter's curls. She admired the hope in her daughter's eyes, not even knowing as much about Mulder's whereabouts as she did.

"I think I have an idea, for Mulder's Christmas present. He is still going with us to San Diego, right?"

"That's the plan." Scully said softly. She was allowing her emotions to begin to surface, and knew she needed to remain strong for her daughter. She left her to the nostalgic photos, resuming in her cleaning to distract her mind.

The day had mostly passed, and Scully thought it would be a good idea to go out for dinner. They both needed to get out of the house and do something fun to ease their minds. Just as they were making their way out to the car, Holly's eyes lit up at the figure walking towards them.

"Mulder!" She squealed and jumped into his arms. He embraced her, closing his eyes in relief to be back with his family. He set her down gently, and wordlessly snaked his arm around Scully's waist, leaning down to place a chaste, yet passionate, kiss on her lips.

"I missed you." He whispered into her mouth. She smiled and nodded, licking her lips as if she was savoring his taste.

"We missed you, too. Would you like to join us for dinner?" She asked, still catching her breath. Holly was already talking his ear off, and he loved every second of it. Scully smiled at their connection, reveling in her daughter's happiness.

They had a nice evening together, catching up on everything that he had missed. When they arrived back at Scully's apartment, Holly was wiped and Mulder carried her to bed. He began to make his way to the couch, but Scully grabbed his hand, shaking her head at him with a sly smirk on her face. She led him into the bedroom, not wasting another minute.

"I was worried I'd never have the chance to see this again." He said as he paid extra attention to her bare breast.

"Yeah, well I thought about withholding it from you as punishment." She said sternly.

"Scully, I'm sorry." He said with a resigned sigh. "I never wanted to hide this from you, or just disappear like that. It killed me, every day, and I hated who I had to pretend to be. I'm just glad it's over." He said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"But what about the next time? What if you get sent off on some other assignment, just because you're the perfect candidate."

"I, uh, thought about that. I was going to list Holly in my file, as my child, so hopefully I don't get assigned based on my lack of family in the future."

"Oh, yeah, that's a good idea then."

"I'm sure there will be some questions, but I can answer as vaguely as I need to, so it doesn't bring you into it."

"Sure, thanks."

"Or I could bring you into it, list you as my family as well. I'm getting some mixed signals here, Scully."

"I know, I'm sorry." She said with a heavy sigh. "I'll admit, I had some doubts when you just disappeared. I thought we were moving in a positive direction, and then you just left in the middle of the night. I wanted to be mad at you, but I knew you wouldn't just leave us like that again, or at least I hoped."

"No, Scully. I don't know how many times I have to tell you, I am here. I'm not going anywhere, nothing about this is temporary." He said as he covered her naked body with his, leaning down to place a promising kiss on her lips.

"She called you dad today." She said in a small whisper into his mouth. He stiffened slightly, alarmed by the most recent revelations.

"She - really?" He asked in disbelief. "When?"

"We were looking through some photo albums, and she offhandedly made the remark. I don't think she even noticed that she called you that."

He smiled at the idea, a million thoughts bouncing sporadically through his mind. He looked down at Scully, seeing everything he's ever wanted in her bright blue eyes. He tightened his grip on her body, as if he was melding them together as one. His lips enclosed on hers passionately, sealing the ultimate promise he was about to make.

"Marry me." He said into her mouth with a barely audible whisper. Her eyes widened as she pulled apart from his embrace slightly, just enough to catch his eyes.

"Wh - what did you just say?"

"I know it seems sudden, but at the same time, it's the only thing I've even thought about since I found you again. I don't ever want there to be doubt in your mind about us again. I want us to be a family, in every way possible."

"Mulder, I don't doubt anything about our relationship, and we are a family..." She began to say as her mind was frantically searching from an escape.

"But you're saying no."

"I'm saying...I don't know. This is, it's a big step. We can't just do this on a whim. It's not a matter to be taken lightly. We have Holly to consider, and-"

"And what makes you think she would object to it? I'm asking you in seriousness, this is what I want. When you figure out what it is you really want, you let me know." He said bitterly as he removed himself from her.

The cold that immediately stung her skin from his absence, was like a stab at her heart. He pulled on his sweats and a t-shirt, making his way out to the living room. She threw herself back on the bed, knowing what was holding her back, not ready to face it, but not wanting to lose Mulder over her own reservations.

She could hear the buzzing white noise of the television, and grabbed her robe to make her way to him. When she walked out of the room, she could see his figure sitting on the couch, only illuminated by the light of the TV. She crept up slowly, straddling his lap silently. He was startled by the sudden action, but relaxed into her embrace with a coy smile.

"I was with someone, right before we moved from San Diego. He was, married, and my mentor. It was a mess of a situation, and I knew it was complicated, but I was so lost, it seemed, stable in some twisted way. He offered to leave his wife for me, and I refused, ending it between us. He came to my house one night, drunk and angry, begging for me to not leave him. He was forceful, and I was scared, so I ran. I jumped at the first opportunity to lead me and Holly away from that situation, and that's how I ended up here." She said all in one breath.

"And that's why you pushed me away so much in the beginning, why you were so hesitant to let me be around." He said softly as he caressed her hips, pulling her towards him more.

"Stop playing psychologist." She said with a playful glare. "But yes, that's why I've been holding myself back. I don't want to throw myself into anything that I'm not completely sure about. I can't afford those kind of mistakes, especially with Holly involved."

"I know, I'm sorry I pushed you."

"Don't be, I think I needed it, to get here." She let out a shaky sigh. "Yes."

"Yes?" He asked hopefully, sitting up straighter, holding her closer to him in his lap.

"Yes...I want to marry you." She said in a small whisper into his mouth. He could feel the uncertainty radiating from her, but could read the truth in her eyes. He smiled, capturing her lips with his own. "Come back to bed."

He nodded against her mouth as she removed herself from his lap, leading him back to the room. They sealed their newest development in their relationship, drifting off to sleep in a comfortable embrace.

The next morning Scully woke up, heart sinking at the lack of the warm body next to her. She frantically grabbed for her robe, making her way out to the kitchen. Holly was still asleep, and she was alone, again. She fought back the tears stinging her eyes, laying on the couch with her knees huddled against her chest. She was broken from her reverie, wiping the dried tears from her cheeks as Mulder came into the apartment.

"Hey, Scully, what's wrong?" He said worriedly as he sat next to her, placing the bag of bagels and coffees on the table in front of him. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. She unraveled her tight position, allowing herself to cuddle into his embrace willingly.

"You were gone, when I woke up, I just-"

"Oh god, Scully, I'm so sorry. I should have known to leave a note, or wake you and let you know I was leaving." He exhaled deeply, feeling like an idiot. He knew everything with them was still delicate, given what they just had gone through.

"No, it's okay. I freaked out, and I shouldn't have doubted you."

"I went to grab some breakfast, and uh, something else from my apartment." He said nervously as he pulled a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of it, her gaze finally looking up to meet his.

"If you're serious, then I want you to have this. It was my grandmother's and it would mean a lot to me if you would wear it."

"Mulder..." She said in a breathy whisper. "I love you. I know I haven't said it, and I don't know how to really express more than that, but I do love you."

"I love you, too. Does that mean...?"

"Yes. It means yes." She said with a final nod, more for herself than for him. He pulled the ring from the box, placing it gently on her ring finger.

Her breath hitched at the sight of the vintage, 3 karat diamond sitting on her finger. She played with it, absorbing everything that had happened between them. She finally glanced up to meet his eyes, smiling at the look of pure excitement on his face. She cradled his head in her hands, bringing his lips to hers in a promising kiss.

"How do we tell Holly?" He asked as they situated themselves comfortably on the couch.

"Oh, our child is very observant, I give her maybe 5 minutes to notice after she makes her way out here."

"You're giving her a lot of credit there, Scully. I say maybe 2 minutes." He teased. She chuckled and shook her head, glancing up to look at this man she felt like she knew so well, in such a short matter of time. She knew this was right, that she was making the right decision.

Holly made her way to the living room a short while later, both of them exchanging a knowing look between each other. She plopped herself on the couch between them as they made space for her, waiting.

"Did you sleep okay?" Scully asked in a soft voice, rubbing her left hand up and down her daughter's arm. Holly was very much Scully when it came to waking up, neither of them liked the process.

"Yeah." She said with a yawn. "Breakfast?" She asked gesturing to the bag on the table.

"Mhm, Mulder went out and got some bagels earlier this morning." She said as she removed her arm from around her daughter to reach for the coffee cup on the table in front of her. Holly shot up, sobering immediately at the sparkle on her mother's finger.

"What is that - are you?" She began to ask frantically, glancing between them both. They could see the excitement shining through her eyes.

"We're engaged." Scully said cautiously, in a small voice. Holly's smile grew, not knowing how to react to the news. She was excited and nervous, finally feeling more confident in her family life.

* * *

Christmas break approached, and they were all getting ready to travel to San Diego. Mulder had taken a case last minute, promising that he would be done by the time that they had to leave. It was the last day of work for both of them, and he was nowhere to be found, worrying Scully slightly.

"Mulder."

"Where are you?"

"Come down to the basement." He said distractedly.

"The basement? Mulder, what the hell -" The phone disconnected, leaving her more confused than before. She rolled her eyes, sometimes completely exasperated with this man.

As she stepped off the elevator, onto the basement floor, she began walking down the dimly lit corridor slowly. She could hear noise coming from the first office, and poked her head inside cautiously. She smiled when she saw him working excitedly, glasses resting on the tip of his nose, unruly hair hanging in his face.

"Do I even want to know what you're doing in here?"

"Scully, I'm glad you're here." He said with a bright smile. He could never contain his giddiness when he saw her at work. He came from around the desk to lean down and place a gentle kiss on her lips. She pulled back quickly, eyes widening.

"Mulder, we're at work." She scolded, no real meaning behind the warning.

"Yeah, but no one's down here, and we are engaged." He leered towards her. She bit back the smirk touching her lips, maintaining a firm stance. He wrapped his arms around her gently, mouth lingering above hers. She smiled as he leaned down to kiss her again.

"You're not playing a fair game."

"No, I'm playing your game." He teased. "I did want you to look at something though, that's why I really asked you down here."

"Mixing work with pleasure?" She smirked, eyebrow arching in challenge.

"Remind me to ask for the pleasure part later." He said, wagging his eyebrows at her. He turned on the slide projector, flashing an image of a body on the screen. She gave him a puzzled look and he handed her a case file to look through.

"Mulder, it says this case has already been investigated, why are you looking into it?"

"Have you ever heard about the x-files?"

"Only in passing. Unsolved cases dealing with unexplained phenomena. Your zombie case, I heard someone talking about it then."

"This Virginia female claims that she was abducted by extraterrestrials. She has a memory loss of 10 days, and woke up in the middle of the woods one night, with no idea how she got there. They did a full examination on her, and only found a distinct scar on the back of her ear."

"Was there evidence of drugs in her system, did they do a psych evaluation? What about testing for natural hallucinogens in the surrounding woods?"

"They tested for all of that, coming up empty. She was in perfect health, which was surprising given that before this time loss and disappearance, she was diagnosed with leukemia."

"It was just gone? That's impossible, especially without proper treatment, and in that short span of time."

"They found a metal chip behind her ear, under her scar. They removed it to examine it, and she was dead he next day."

"So, you're saying that this woman was abducted by aliens, treated with some metal implant that cured her illness, and then died as a result of removing said implant?"

"You're looking at me like I'm insane."

"I'm starting to question that, yes."

"If it was just one case, I might be inclined to agree, but she's not the only one." He said mysteriously as he began to switch the slide. He rambled on, introducing several different victims with the same scar behind their ear. All of them had some kind of terminal illness, that once the chip was removed, killed them within a day. She had never seen him talking about a case with such exuberance. She could see the look in his animated eyes, reveling in the sight.

"You honestly believe this is alien abduction? There's got to be some scientific explanation for all of this. They're doing basic testing, and with more in depth cell and tissue samples, leaving the chip in, they should be able to get more accurate information."

"I'm glad you think so, I was hoping you could administer these in depth studies, Doc." He said with that goofy grin she couldn't refuse.

"Mulder, we leave for San Diego tomorrow morning."

"Mhm, I know." He said as he stepped towards her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "There's a patient with the same scar, who happens to be in a hospital in San Diego. I already called and asked them specifically not to remove the chip until you can examine him."

"You're expecting me to work, during the small time I have away from here to be with my family, during Christmas break?" She said, eyebrow rising.

"I just want you to examine him, it won't even take up half of the day, I promise."

"And what about you? Are you going to be able to pull yourself away from the work to be with me, with us during the holidays?"

"Scully, why are you getting angry about this?"

"Why are you so persistent about it?"

"Never mind, I'm sorry I asked for your assistance. I'm staying at my place tonight, I'll meet you tomorrow at the airport." He said bitterly as he grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the door. She scoffed, at how quickly their conversation turned sour, not knowing why he was taking this so personally.

She finished up her reports before her vacation. She already called her mother to say she'd be home a little later than usual. She drove to his apartment, parking on the curb outside, relieved to see the light on in his living room. As she approached his apartment, she could hear his television blaring through the door. She knocked several times, calling out his name, each attempt going unanswered. She let out a heavy sigh, and pulled out her key.

When she walked inside, she saw him sitting on the couch, holding a framed picture in his hands. She approached cautiously, seeing the empty look in his eyes.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to show up." He said in a low, almost rough voice.

"Are we going to talk about it?" She asked softly, situating herself next to him on the couch.

"I'm sorry, that I stormed out like that. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me. It has nothing to do with you." He said as he glanced back at the picture in his hand. She took it gently from him, looking at it before setting it down on the table in front of them. She laid down into his side as he relaxed at the contact.

"Your sister, right?"

"Remember how I told you, that she disappeared when we were younger? I was supposed to be watching her, and I lost her that night. I never told you what really happened."

"You can tell me anything, you know." She said in a small voice, playing with the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

"I suppose I never told you, because I didn't want you to think I was crazy. I've done some regression therapy, to remember that night." He said with a heavy sigh. "It didn't make sense to me, at first. The bright light, my inability to move, her hovering in mid air...it was like some twisted, bad dream. I stumbled on my sister's file in the basement, after I did some research, that's how I found the x-files. It fascinated me, to think there was more than the simple answer my parents were living by. I've believed that she was abducted, and this case, it just lit that fire of curiosity in me again. I sound insane, I know. You can go running now." He scoffed, taking a deep breath.

"I believe you. I trust that's what you truly believe. Mulder, why didn't you just tell me?"

"I was afraid, that you'd want nothing to do with me. It's not exactly a first date conversation."

"Or apparently a conversation to have with the mother of your child, your fiancé, either." She said with a harsher tone than she intended. She winced, glancing up to catch his gaze. "Sorry."

"It's okay, I'm sorry I got so angry with you earlier. We don't need to do anything other than visit with your family while we're in San Diego. The case, it's not even an official thing."

"I'm only giving you a day, half a day. Any results that come from my examination, we wait until we return home to look into, understood?" She said sternly. He smiled at her, eyes shining at the woman before him. He nodded wordlessly, leaning down to kiss her.

"Yes, dear." He teased. She huffed out a small chuckle, reluctantly separating from him.

"I need to get home...were you, uh, still planning to stay here tonight?" She asked in a shy voice.

"I don't know, do you have a better proposition for me?" He leered at her.

"Meet me back at my apartment later, and find out for yourself." She said in a sultry voice, leaning in to hover her lips just above his. He anticipated the kiss, and she could see the arousal in his eyes. She smiled, getting up without contact, leaving him wanting more. He glared at her, pulling her back on the couch by her hips, pinning her down under his body. She yelped at the sudden action, chuckling at his eagerness.

"That was mean, Scully." He growled into her mouth. She smiled a sly grin, reaching up to play with the stray lock of hair in his face.

"As much as I would love to challenge what you plan to do about it, I need to get home and pack." She said stretching up to meet his mouth. "I'll see you later?"

He nodded, placing a parting kiss on her lips. She reluctantly left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew he was lucky to have her, to have them both in his life. Christmas was important to her, and he didn't want to mess this trip up with his crazy antics. He also still needed to finalize their present, making a quick stop on his way back to her apartment.

* * *

They had arrived to San Diego, settling in nicely at Scully's brother Bill's house. Mulder had already underwent several different interrogations from members of the family. He knew her parents already, but here, he was out of his element. The only ounce of comfort he found was the wide smile plastered on Holly's face when she talked about him to the rest of her family. He was sitting in the living room with the kids, avoiding more conversations with other adults.

"You're hiding." Scully said accusingly as she sauntered into the room, sitting in his lap. He was startled by the movement, not knowing how much public affection she wanted to display in front of her family.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Scully." He said with a guilty grin. She shook her head at him, leaning down to place a chaste peck on his lips. Her sister and younger brother came strolling into the room, a gleam in their eyes.

"So are we going to talk about the giant, shiny elephant in the room?" Melissa asked mischievously, eyeing the rock on Scully's hand. Her cheeks tinged with color, licking her lips nervously.

"Come on, Danes. You really think none of us noticed? We have a bet on how long." Charlie teased. Her eyes widened at her siblings.

"Oh god, you're betting on me?" She groaned with embarrassment, burying her head into the crook of Mulder's neck. He chuckled at the playfulness of her family, feeling slightly more comfortable in his surroundings. She pulled her head back to glare at him. "Don't you dare laugh."

"Who's winning?" Mulder asked towards Melissa and Charlie.

"That depends, how long have you been engaged?" Maggie asked slyly as her and the rest of the family came in to the living room.

"You're betting on me, too? You know, you could have just asked before we had to make it a spectacle for the family." Scully huffed. Mulder bit back his amusement, rubbing her arms for comfort.

"It's only been just about 3 weeks." Mulder said in a small voice. She grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers together, smiling at him. The rest of her family exchanged glances between each other wordlessly, before Charlie broke the silence.

"I win, you all owe me 5 bucks, each." He said proudly. They all began to bicker between each other, as they normally did during the holidays. Scully settled into Mulder's embrace further, enjoying having him here, feeling like her family was finally complete.

The next day they had made their way to the hospital, Mulder promising that they would not be here past noon. Somehow, she didn't fully believe him. She did the examination on the patient, seeing the fresh scar behind his ear. She took several different culture swabs and tissue samples. She wanted to make sure she didn't miss anything, hoping to somewhat ease Mulder's wandering mind.

They had left Holly with her family, just saying that they had to follow up on something for work. As they waited around the hospital for the results, Scully's mother came running into the emergency room entrance frantically, instantly putting her on high alert.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" She asked quickly, seeing the fear in her mother's eyes.

"Your father, he - he just collapsed. They think it was a heart attack. I don't know where they took him, the others are waiting back at the house until I know more. I don't-" Maggie began to stammer. Scully hugged her mother, giving Mulder a nervous look. He excused himself to find out whatever information he could, using his FBI credentials to move past the formalities. He approached them again, filling them in on the information he gathered.

"He's in surgery. It was a heart attack, but they assured me he has the best doctor working on him. Uh, a Dr. Waterston." He said casually, reading the information the nurse gave him. Scully and her mother both paled at the name, causing Mulder's anxiety to rise.

"We'll get another doctor." Maggie said firmly.

"No, mom. He's already in surgery, it's fine. When he gets out, we'll reevaluate, but for now, he really is in the best hands."

"I'm not putting you through this again."

"I'm fine. It's been, a while, since that happened. I've obviously moved on, and I'm sure that he has, too. It's behind us." Scully said reassuringly, more so for herself than anyone listening. Maggie just nodded, excusing herself to the restroom to compose herself.

"So, we going to talk about it?" Mulder asked cautiously, walking towards her, wrapping his arms around her for comfort. She melted into his embrace, exhaling deeply at his contact.

"The doctor, he's the one who-" Her voice was cut off by a familiar figure coming to stand beside them. She stiffened in Mulder's arms, causing him to hold on to her tighter.

"Dana, I came out to give you an update personally." Dr. Waterston said with an unnerving gleam in his eye, causing Mulder's stomach to turn.

"Daniel, thank you." She said quietly, removing herself from Mulder's arms, staying close enough for him to rub his hands up and down her arms, her leaning into him for support. Maggie made her way back to her daughter's side, almost as if she was creating a shield from the older doctor standing before her. "You remember my mother."

"Yes, it's nice to see you again, Mrs. Scully. I don't believe we've been introduced." Daniel said, directing his attention to Mulder.

"This is my fiancé, Fox Mulder. Mulder, this is Daniel. He was one of my mentors while I was doing my rotations." She said in a small voice, looking up to catch his gaze. He read what she was trying to tell him, sighing in understanding.

"Well it's nice to meet you. Your father, he had a minor heart attack. There was a small tear that my team and I are repairing, and he should be out of surgery in the next hour. I'll come notify you when he's in recovery." Daniel said as he made his way back to the OR.

"I'm going to call the house, update all of them." Maggie said excusing herself.

Scully could sense Mulder's gaze burning into the side of her head, knowing they needed to talk. Just as she turned to face this conversation, she was interrupted by a nurse bringing her the lab results from the tests she administered earlier.

"This is incredible, this kind of rapid tissue and cell regeneration is unheard of." She said looking over the reports.

"So, you're saying it's possible that the unknown metal implant is keeping him alive?"

"It's a factor, but we won't know until we take it out. Which, based on the previous victims, could essentially kill him."

"What if we take the implant out, examine it, and put it right back in, before any definite damage could be done."

"It's risky, but I suppose it can't hurt. That's surgery though, Mulder. It's far past our areas of expertise. We'd also need official authority to just start cutting into people." She said exasperated.

"I'll work on that, but I promise you I won't dwell on it. There's way too many important things happening now." He said with a resigned sigh as he pulled her into his arms. She willingly relaxed into his embrace, breathing in his scent. He leaned down to place a small kiss on her forehead, just as Maggie was making her way back into the waiting room.

They all waited, the rest of the family already making their way to the hospital. As Daniel emerged from surgery, Bill jumped out of his seat, anger building in his eyes in memory of what this bastard did to his sister. Mulder jumped into action, holding Bill back with Charlie's help.

"I just came to let you know that your father is in recovery. You can see him, just one at a time." Daniel said stoically, keeping detachment in the diagnosis. They all started to hug each other, exchanging relieved sentiments. Daniel stepped forward into Scully's personal space, causing her to stiffen at the closeness. Mulder and Charlie had taken Bill outside to cool off, and she suddenly felt his absence more than she ever had before.

"Can we talk?" He asked with that charming grin that got her in this mess in the first place. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, stepping away from him slightly.

"I don't think that's the best idea. Thank you, for helping my dad, I appreciate it." She said in dismissal. She turned to walk away from him, and he grabbed onto her arm forcefully.

"Please, Dana. I just want to talk to you. You left, without a word, and I never had the chance to make amends for how I acted." He said as the anger began to flush through him. She could see the authority in his stance, no one ever refusing him anything. Just as she was opening her mouth to speak, Mulder came back inside.

"Hey, is everything okay?" He asked harshly, meaning the current position Scully and Daniel were in, but implying the status of her father.

"Yeah, he's going to be okay. My mom just went back to see him in recovery." She said as she yanked her arm away from him. Daniel shot an angry glare at Mulder, huffing at the competition in his mind.

"I'll check on him later, hopefully we can talk then." He said as he stalked off down the hall, leaving no room for negotiation.

Mulder could see Scully fighting back her emotions, with everything that happened. Her father, Daniel, being back here...she was holding back a full breakdown, and he could sense it. He coaxed her into leaving with him to take a walk, leading her into an empty room. She gave him a puzzled look, startled by the sudden change in direction.

"I can see you holding everything in, fighting back the tears, trying to be strong, but you don't have to be. Let me take some of that burden from you, lean on me, that's what I'm here for. Scully, talk to me, something. I don't want you to-" He began to say calmly before she threw herself into his arms.

He held onto her tightly as she rode out her emotions, sobs racking through her body. He moved them gently to the nearby chair, sitting and pulling her into his lap. She cuddled in, crying into his neck. She seemed so small in his arms, so vulnerable. He tightened his grip on her, muttering reassuring sentiments in her ear.

"God, I love you." She finally said in a small whisper. He smiled, kissing her forehead with promise.

"I love you, too. Thank you, for allowing me in." He said sincerely. "I know it's not always easy for you, so thank you."

"You make it pretty easy." She said with a small smile, finally composing her emotions. She leaned up to place a passionate kiss on his lips, sealing their sentiments.

"I, uh, know this probably isn't the best place, or time, but I wanted to give you your Christmas present early. Holly told me how you open one gift on Christmas Eve every year, and this is the one I wanted to give you both tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure it was okay first."

"What did you do? I know it's big, I can see it in your eyes." She said sitting up straighter, playfully glaring at him.

"Don't freak out, but - uh, this is for you, for both of you." He said as he handed her a small box.

"I'm pretty sure I already have the ring on my finger." She teased.

"Ha ha, Scully. Open it." He said softly. She furrowed her brow, curiosity winning over.

"Mulder, what -" She began to ask, staring down at a key. She finally met his gaze, still confused about what this meant.

"I figured since I'm always at your apartment anyway, we'd just make it official, in our own house. I know your lease is up soon, and I didn't mean to overstep. I met with my realtor, and this house just seemed perfect for us. If you hate it, we can always look at other options." He stammered, beginning to worry about her lack of response.

"You - you just went out and bought a house? That's a huge purchase, Mulder."

"Yeah, there's probably some other things we should talk about. I, uh, have some money, from my grandparent's inheritance. I also have a house on Martha's vineyard, that became mine after my parent's divorce."

"So, buying a house..."

"Was just something I wanted to do, for my family. I wanted to run it by you first, before getting Holly's hopes up tomorrow."

"She's going to love it."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"I - It's a lot to take in." She said in a small voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you. We haven't even talked about living together, I just thought-"

"It's perfect." She said as she captured his lips with hers. "Do I get to see our new house?"

"I have the pictures and everything back in my suitcase. I can show you tonight when we get back." He chuckled at her giddy smile.

They stayed in their embrace for a while longer, enjoying their small moment of solitude together before having to face the outside world. They were both excited to move forward in their relationship, ready to face anything else that came their way, together.


	8. Chapter 8

Scully's father was moved into his own room, allowing for several visitors at a time. They had taken shifts at the hospital, some resting while others remained with him. It was Christmas Eve, and everyone was trying to figure out a plan, given the newest adjustments they needed to make. Mulder had offered to take Scully back to the house, switching off with Melissa and Charlie.

"Aunt Melissa said that when we go back to the hospital, we all get ice cream. Can we go back with her?" Holly said as she came bouncing towards them.

"If she doesn't mind. Grandma and Uncle Bill are already at the hospital, but I don't want you bothering them." Scully said as she hugged her daughter.

"No, it's okay, I offered. It'll just be you and Mulder, alone, in the house. You're welcome." Melissa said teasingly.

"Will you stop. God, some things never change." She hissed at her sister.

Mulder had made his way upstairs to take a shower, and she could hear the water still running as the door closed behind the others. A sly smirk appeared on her face as an idea popped in her head. She made her way upstairs, quietly sneaking into the bathroom. She stripped her clothes, pulling back the curtain to join him.

"Scully, what are you doing in here?" He leered at her. He was surprised to see her standing here with him, but loved the moment of spontaneity.

"Do I really need to map it out for you?" She purred with a challenging, playful gleam in her eyes.

"Oh, is this my Christmas present? I didn't even have to unwrap it."

"Shut up, Mulder." She chuckled into his mouth, closing the gap between them.

His hands began to move up her naked body firmly, holding her to him. She snaked her arms around his neck, deepening their embrace. She could feel his growing erection nudging at her center, and he reached down to feel her readiness for him. He walked them backwards, pinning her against the wall. He lifted her by her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His tip teased her entrance, as if he was asking permission. The feather soft grazes were driving her insane.

"Mulder...please..." She moaned into his mouth. He smiled at her eagerness, entering her slowly. Indistinct hums of pleasure emitting from them both, he picked up his pace. Her nails began digging into his back, mouth opening in a small moan. He knew she was close, her breathing becoming shallow. He thrusted harder, deeper, until she began to convulse around him. He held onto her tightly, letting her ride out her orgasm as he quickly followed in his own ecstasy. They held each other closely, mouths lingering before the other, composing their breathing. Her legs were shaking from their position, her insides completely melted from the experience she just had.

"We're supposed to be resting." She said through her sleepy eyes as his mouth grazed her breasts. They had transitioned, sans clothes, to the room they were staying in. Holly was sleeping on the small couch in the room during their visit, not leaving much time for them to do anything this eventful.

"I've never felt more relaxed, Scully." He said in a muffled voice, his face buried into her chest. She chuckled at his enthusiasm, playing with his hair, fighting the drowsiness.

"Mm, well I might need some sleep."

"But I thought this was my Christmas Eve present?" He said, feigning that puppy dog pout she loved so much.

"That was never officially decided."

"Oh, so there's more." He said as he crawled up her body to meet her lips. She chuckled, the smirk touching her lips as she shook her head at him.

"Maybe. You're going to love Holly's gift though. She wanted to give you something special, since it's your first Christmas with us." She said in a small voice.

"She amazes me, you know...how big her heart is."

"She has a lot of you in her, I see more and more every day."

"Have you, uh, ever thought about having more children?" He asked cautiously. Her hand stopped it's movement stroking his hair, breath catching in her throat.

"Honestly, no. The only other person I was really in a serious relationship with, was Daniel, and his daughter is practically my age. Otherwise, I was always extremely careful so that-"

"You didn't end up pregnant by someone you didn't know."

"Yeah, I think that only works out well once in a lifetime." She said as she stretched up to capture his lips. She could sense the doubt flushing through him, and knew he needed to be reassured about how she felt. "Have you...ever thought about having more kids?"

"I never thought about having even one kid, but -" He began to say with a heavy sigh. "She's amazing, Scully. I think I'm always going to regret not being there to see her grow up, and I'll admit, I would love to have another chance for that opportunity. I don't know, it's just been on my mind." He said carefully, noticing her lack of response.

"I guess, I feel like I lucked out the first time around, and never really found someone that I wanted to share that with again. But you know, you make pretty good kids, so I suppose I'd be up for the discussion." She said with a sly grin.

He searched her eyes, seeing the definite promise in her gaze, and smiled. He nodded, leaning down to enclose his lips on hers. They spent the rest of their time at the house consummating their relationship further.

They gathered the presents they were told to bring to the hospital, keeping the tradition alive, even given the circumstances. She grabbed the package for Mulder, and he bugged her the entire trip to the hospital about what was inside. She loved seeing him like this, childlike and carefree.

"It's about time, we've been waiting since forever for you to get here with the presents!" Holly scolded as they entered the room. Scully rolled her eyes, kissing the top of her daughter's head.

"We were resting, you can wait."

"Oh, yeah...I can really see how rested you two are." Melissa said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Scully's eyes widened, color rising to her cheeks.

"Would you stop." She hissed at her sister, causing Charlie to laugh. "You, too. There is no privacy in this family." She groaned, moving away from her teasing siblings.

They all settled themselves around her father's bed, passing the one chosen present to each person. Holly's eyes lit up at the package Mulder was holding, anticipating his opening of it. Scully was settled in the seat beside him, Holly sitting in her lap. They both looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to open his present.

He furrowed his brow, having no idea what it could be. He opened it slowly, pausing as he saw a glimpse of the front cover of the photo album. They were seated off to the side from the rest of her family, having this small moment to themselves. He opened the album to the first page, a smile spreading across his face at the first picture. It was a baby, very messy, Holly, smiling back at him through the photo.

"It's me, on my first Christmas. Mom said I made a mess at dinner, in my first two outfits." She said with a shrug. He chuckled at the story, imagining it in his head. He turned the page, breath hitching at the next picture. It was of Scully and Holly in front of the tree their first Christmas, Scully looking just as he vaguely remembered first meeting her. His fingers grazed over the image of her, and she smiled, knowing what was running through his mind.

"She wanted you to see pictures of her, of us, from every Christmas so far. The last page is empty, so we can fill it with our own family picture." Scully said in a small voice. He finally glanced up, taking in his small, perfect little family. He smiled at them both, fighting back the emotions beginning to surface.

"Thank you, it's perfect." He said in a small whisper. He leaned forward, placing a kiss on Holly's forehead, moving to Scully to place a lingering kiss on her lips. They smiled at each other, reveling in every surprise that brought them to this moment. She nodded at him, signaling for him to give Holly her present.

"I have a gift for you, too. It's for both of you, but I guess you don't have to share if you don't want to." He said teasingly, winking at her.

"Gee, thanks a lot." Scully huffed, playfully glaring at him.

He handed the small box containing the key to Holly, causing curiosity to shine through her eyes. As she opened it, she was even more confused, looking up at him, waiting for an explanation.

"How would you feel, if we all lived together, in our own house?" He asked carefully. Her eyes lit up, glancing back at Scully for confirmation.

"Really? You're going to live with us? Like, all of us together?" She asked excitedly, trying to gather her thoughts. He chuckled at her excitement, nodding in affirmation. She squealed, throwing herself into his arms for a hug. He held her tightly, feeling like he finally had a family.

* * *

The entire family spent Christmas in the hospital, just enjoying their time together. After several days, it was time for Scully's father to be discharged and taken home. Everyone waited anxiously for the doctor to do his final examination, tension rising as Daniel walked into the room.

"Everything looks great, my surgical skills were nothing but the best, repairing the small tear in your heart. Take it easy for a few weeks, and I recommend making a follow up appointment with your regular doctor." Daniel said stoically. He could feel the hatred radiating towards him from everyone in the room. They thanked him in dismissal, causing his annoyance to rise, him wanting to speak with Scully. She was standing at the opposite end of the room, hidden behind her family. He glared at her before turning and stalking out into the hallway.

She exhaled deeply, Mulder rubbing her arms for comfort. She leaned back into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, whispering reassuring sentiments in her ear. They all helped make the transition back to the house, Scully and Mulder staying behind to check on the patient involved in their case.

"His stats haven't changed, they're getting better if anything. The chip is still in, right?" She asked distractedly as they walked towards the room.

"As far as I know, they haven't removed it. He hasn't displayed any other symptoms, other than healing rapidly from the terminal lung cancer he was diagnosed with a month ago."

"It's unheard of, this kind of cell regrowth. I -" Her words were cut off as she entered the room, seeing the doctor tending to an empty bed. "Scott?"

"Dana Scully, what brings you back here?" He said with a charming, flirtatious grin. She left Mulder's side, throwing herself into the arms of this good looking stranger.

"I'm here visiting for the holidays, and working a little. My god, how have you been? I haven't seen you since you took that internship in Florida." She said with a smile plastered on her face.

"Well, since someone didn't want to become the next cardio prodigy, Waterston asked me to come back and study under him. Right now, I'm just doing my own rounds on several patients, but it's been a great experience for me."

"That's great, I'm glad you found your field." She said sincerely. Mulder intentionally cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the room. Scully turned to face him with an apologetic look on her face. "This, uh, is my fiancé, Fox Mulder. Mulder, this is Scott Henderson, he was one of my good friends in med school."

"Fiancé huh? Wow, and here I couldn't even get a date out of you. I mean, we had a few good nights in the doctor's lounges, but..." He teased, causing her eyes to widen. "It's nice to meet you." He directed towards Mulder, leering at Scully jokingly. He nodded silently in greeting, feeling uneasy about their connection.

"So, uh, what are you doing with this patient?" She said, changing the subject, licking her lips nervously.

"Well right now I sent him off for more testing. It's incredible, terminal lung cancer, just vanishes after an unknown disappearance." Scott said in disbelief.

"We have some theories, but you'd think we're insane, so I'm not going over them with you until I can get authority to administer more tests, and have definitive proof to back up my claims." She said flatly.

"Alright, Doc. Let me know if you need anything from me. How long are you in town for?" He said as he stepped forward into her personal space.

"Just a few more days, but my father just got out of the hospital so we're spending as much time at home as we can." She said in a small voice, realization coming to him.

"The heart attack, brought in a few days ago. God, I should have known from the name. Waterston made sure to take extra care and attention to him." He said as he brought her in for a comforting hug. Mulder's jealousy got the best of him, causing him to leave the room silently, pacing in the halls.

They finished their casual pleasantries, Scully already knowing what was running through Mulder's mind. They both exited the room, embracing in a parting hug. She turned to face the doubting, exasperating man with the pouting face that she loved.

"Ready to go home? Holly is staying at a friend's house tonight, visiting with a bunch of girls from her old school...so it's just us." She said, stepping into meet his body, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He let out a heavy sigh, embracing her lightly, no real emotion behind the gesture. There were too many emotions clouding his better judgement, and he knew he was about to be incredibly stupid, but he couldn't contain it.

"I'm going to go for a walk actually, you can take the car, head back to the house. I'll catch a cab, see you later. Unless you have plans with your friend." He said bitterly.

"Mulder, are you seriously questioning our relationship right now?" She spat, hands on her hips.

"I don't know, I seem to have a lot of competition here. Scott, Daniel, and that's just at the hospital. Maybe there's more from other drunken summer nights on the beach." He said, intentionally trying to hurt her, for reasons he couldn't explain.

"How dare you. I-"

"No, it's fine. I don't need an explanation. I'll see you at the house later." He said in finality, leaving no room for an argument. She fought back the tears in her eyes, hoping he wasn't running off on some crazy venture just to spite her.

She had made her way home, dropping Holly off at her friend's house. Holly could sense that something was wrong, given that Mulder wasn't with her when she arrived. She could see the unshed tears in her mother's eyes, knowing they had a fight, but didn't want to push her and ask. Scully made her way back to the house, claiming exhaustion to escape up to her room.

Mulder crept into the house late, some time in the middle of the night, trying not to wake anyone. He slowly approached their room, second guessing whether or not he should sleep on the couch, but didn't want the questions about it the next day. He took a deep breath, gaining courage to enter. He knew he messed up, and could only wish for forgiveness. He opened the door, seeing her curled up in the bed. She looked so small, so vulnerable in that moment, and he could see the pained look on her face illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window. He stripped down to his boxers, crawling into bed beside her. He spooned up behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her stomach, pulling her into him.

"I'm sorry, I was an idiot, and I'm so sorry. I love you." He whispered into her ear. She was feigning sleep, still awake with her mind wandering. He knew she was awake, but could feel her relax into his embrace. She didn't respond, just remained in her stance, finally comfortable to drift off.

The next morning, Scully roused from sleep, smiling at her position. During the night, she had cuddled into Mulder's side, entangling their legs together, her head resting on his chest, arm tightly wrapped around his body. She could sense him stirring awake, startling at how she was laying on him. She kissed his bare chest before turning to meet his eyes.

"I love you, too. But you should never have questioned that." She said softly, with confidence behind her statement.

"I didn't, not really. I think my stupid jealousy took over, and...can I claim alien abduction?" He asked with a sheepish smile. She chuckled, rolling her eyes at him.

"Nice try, but it's not going to work." She said, reaching up to capture his lips with hers. He melted into her embrace, relieved that he didn't completely screw this up. He flipped them, situating himself on top of her, kissing her deeper.

"I really am sorry, for being an idiot. I don't care about whoever came before me, and I was wrong to throw that in your face. I'm sure as hell not one to talk." He scoffed. She reached up to play with his hair, warmly smiling at him.

"We can talk about it, you know. If you have questions, you can ask. I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding anything from you."

"No, I trust you, you're the only one I trust. I didn't really doubt you or our relationship. This is - it's new for me. I've only ever been in maybe 3 serious relationships, and they all ended horribly. They played with my heart, more interested in where I could get them, than actually wanting to be with me. It's a sad excuse, but it's why I freaked, and I'm sorry." He said as he kissed her again.

"You're kinda hot when you're jealous." She said in a sultry tone, a shining gleam in her eyes. He smiled down at this tiny, redhead who captured his heart, his soul.

"What time does the spawn get back?" He said, arousal growing. She flashed him a sly smirk, reaching up to whisper in his ear.

"Whenever we go to pick her up, we have the morning to ourselves." She said as she nibbled on his ear. He moaned at the contact, loving her more by the minute.

* * *

They had been back for a few days from San Diego, resting from their exhausting trip. Mulder had arranged to meet his mother at her house in Connecticut, family in tow. He hadn't mentioned any details to her, other than he was getting married, and she had a daughter. Holly was excited to meet her, but could sense the worry emitting from Mulder.

"Mother, it's good to see you." He said as he greeted Teena Mulder at the door of her home. He kissed her sincerely on the cheek, keeping everything as civil as possible.

"Fox, it's been a while, clearly. It's always good to see you." She said as she glanced past him to see the small woman and her child approaching from the car. Holly giggled at his first name, him shooting her a playful glare.

"This is Holly, and Dana Scully." He said in introduction as they entered the house. It was decorated with his mother's exquisite taste, seeming cold in nature. She wasn't the warm, welcoming type of grandmother that Holly was used to, and it made her slightly uncomfortable.

"It's nice to meet you both, please, come inside, make yourselves at home." She said completely void of emotion. Mulder sighed, regretting this already.

They engaged in casual conversations, getting to know each other on a surface level. Teena was weary about the two women who waltzed into her son's life, but she could see how he looked at them, knowing they were more important than he was letting on. Mulder led them upstairs to get their things settled in the room they were staying in, instantly embracing Scully.

"This is only the beginning of my apology for being here." He said between kisses. She chuckled, smiling at him warmly.

"She's not that bad, she's just not what Holly was expecting. Give it time." She said reassuringly. Holly was putting her things in the other guest room down the hall.

"We really have to stay for two days? I'm all for leaving tomorrow."

"We agreed, the entire weekend. She's excited, and curious about you and your family. This is good for her, so thank you for making that sacrifice." She said, reaching up to capture his lips.

"You're lucky you're both really cute." He teased.

Scully wanted to change into something nicer for dinner. His mother made reservations at a local restaurant, and she knew she had to meet this pristine woman's standards. She sent Mulder to tell Holly to change into the dress she packed for her. He stopped in his tracks, seeing his mother standing in the hallway, watching Holly through the sliver of the open door. He walked up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder to notify her of his presence. She turned to meet his eyes, a knowing look on her face. He sighed in resignation.

"She reminds me of Samantha." Teena said, choking back her emotions.

"That's what I thought when I first found out." He said genuinely.

"How long have you known?"

"I just found out a few months ago. We've been giving ourselves an adjustment period, getting to know each other." He said carefully. She nodded in understanding, excusing herself to get ready for dinner. He exhaled a breath of relief, at least she knew.

Dinner went smoothly, Holly adjusting to the money driven lifestyle. Scully was amazed at how far from this type of life, Mulder had ran. They all made their way back to the house, settling in for tea before bed. Holly was getting tired, Scully offering to put her to bed, giving him and his mother time to talk.

"They're lovely people, you have a nice family." She said, with actual sincerity in her voice.

"Holly is excited to be here, she wants to know more about you, about my family. It means a lot that you're letting us stay here this weekend."

"You're always more than welcome, you know that. She is, I suppose, my granddaughter, it will be good to know her."

"Yes, she is. I, uh, met Sc - Dana, at a party that summer I spent in San Diego. One thing led to another, and Holly happened. I didn't know, until they moved to DC this year. I met her at work." He huffed, still amazed by their story.

"That's some coincidence, but I'm glad it worked out for you." She said with a small resemblance of a smile. His mind began to wander, thinking just how much of a coincidence it actually was.

He made his way up to the bedroom to lay next to Scully. She was reading a book, wearing her glasses, and he smiled at the sight. He crept in wordlessly, laying his head on her chest, holding her close to him.

"That good, huh?" She asked, stroking his hair for comfort.

"I honestly don't even know, I think she's interested at least, in knowing Holly. That's all I could hope for."

"I don't think I fully comprehended the lifestyle you grew up in. I should have known...Connecticut, Martha's Vineyard, Oxford. But I think seeing it firsthand puts it all into perspective."

"I hated growing up like this. Parties to attend, smiles to fake, and very uncomfortable clothes. It's not anything I would want for my own kids."

"Holly was fascinated by it, she's never had anything like this."

"Well, I'm sure my mother is already figuring out which heirloom to hand down to her. She'll have her pick between the best jewelry and vacation houses." He scoffed.

"Your mother doesn't have to do that, we don't expect her to do anything, Mulder. That's too much, it's -" She began to stammer.

"Hey, it's okay." He said calmly, kissing her to relax. "That's just how she is, and Holly may be her only grandchild. I think she's more excited about spoiling her than anything else." He said gently. She smiled, nodding in understanding.

They situated themselves in bed, drifting off to a comfortable sleep. They were both thinking about each other, and their small family. There had been several roadblocks throughout their relationship, but nothing they hadn't found a way to overcome. Holly was happy, having her parents together, after all these years.

The happy thoughts and dreams were interrupted by the flashing of a bright light, indistinct humming sounds, and suddenly, Scully was gone. Once Mulder was able to focus on his surroundings again, the panic began to set in. The uneasy sense of dejavu flowing through him, knowing what happened, not ready to accept it. Holly yelled out from her room, waking up from the sounds. The frightened look plastered on her face caused his heart to sink, not knowing how to even explain this to her. He wrapped her up in his arms, muttering reassuring sentiments in her ear, avoiding answering the questions she was asking about the bright light and the sounds she heard. She was still half asleep, drifting off again with ease.

She began to fall back asleep, and he exited the room to make sure his own mother was okay. When he walked into her room, expecting her to be asleep, he was surprised to see her sitting on the end of her bed, a blank stare in her eyes.

"Mom, are you okay?" He asked, stepping into the room. At first, she didn't answer, almost as if she didn't even notice his presence. He called for her attention again, this time at least causing her to glance up at him.

"Fox, I'm so sorry. I didn't think this would happen. I'm so sorry." She repeatedly whispered, over and over.

His jaw clenched, anger rising in him, not knowing how to respond to his mother. His head was clouded with confusion, emotions bouncing around sporadically.

"What do you mean?" He spat.

"He said - He said he wanted to take you, or the girl. I couldn't let that happen, I'm so sorry." She began to frantically say.

Mulder's entire life came crashing down, now, more than ever, knowing everything he knew about his sister's disappearance was a lie. His mother let him beat himself up, all these years, allowing him to believe it was his fault. She knew the truth, the entire time, and she knew where Scully was now.

"Who said - Where the hell is Scully?" He growled at her. She stood up, trying to calm him down, knowing the mess she created, once again.

"Spender, he knows. I - I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Then fix it. That's my fiancé, the mother of my child. The child who is going to wake up wondering where the hell her mother is."

"I can try to contact him, but I can't promise you anything. Fox, I'm -"

"Sorry, yeah...I know, I just don't believe you." He said before storming out of the room.

His mind was driving him crazy with every horrible thought running through it. He needed to exert his energy, but knew he couldn't just throw himself into some crazy search, considering Holly. Normally, he'd be on the first flight out, beating the truth out of whoever had an shred of information about Scully's whereabouts. It was different, it wasn't just him going through this. He was pacing in the living room, thinking of a plan that didn't involve him running off, coming up empty. He stopped at the sight of his mother, standing on the stairs with a guilty look present on her face.

"He agreed, to talk to you. He'll be here shortly." She said without explanation. She returned to her room, avoiding the fight she sensed was about to happen.

Mulder resumed his pacing, anxiety building, annoyed he couldn't just jump into action. He paused, smelling the cigarette smoke, before seeing the figure standing in the back door. He clenched his jaw, making his way outside to meet the bastard.

"You...where the hell is she?!" He growled, holding back as much as he could manage.

"I assure you, she's in the best care, Mr. Mulder." He said smugly, inhaling a puff of his cigarette.

"I don't give a shit about where she is, as long as she is brought back, now." He shouted, stepping into his face.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. She will be returned, that much I can assure you."

"Now, I need her back now. I swear to god, I will come after you with every ounce of force I have, if you don't return her immediately." He growled, putting a promise behind his words.

"As I said, it's not that simple. Patience, Mr. Mulder, you have a child to consider. We'll be in touch." He said mysteriously, causing Mulder's anger to rise. He made his threat, wanting so desperately to act on it, but knowing that could jeopardize Scully's return.

He made his way back inside, slamming the door behind him. He sat on the couch, turning on mindless television for the white noise, staring blankly before him. He felt empty, broken, like half of him was missing.

After a restless night, Mulder changed to go for an early morning run. He was dead on his feet, but the adrenaline was keeping him going. He ran longer than expected, needing to clear his head. When he approached the house, he could see the police car out front, stomach turning at the sight. He ran inside, frantically searching the surroundings. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Scully sitting on the couch, Holly wrapped in her embrace. He immediately assumed his position next to her, engulfing them both in his arms.

"Scully, I'm so sorry." He whispered into her ear. She let out a heavy sigh, relaxing into his words. The officer finished taking her statement, leaving them alone.

"Holly, honey, why don't you go up and take a shower, then we can explore the town a little bit today, okay?" She said softly, needing an excuse to speak with Mulder alone. She nodded, bouncing up the stairs, not really knowing what happened last night.

"Scully -"

"Mulder, I don't know. I wish I could tell you what happened, but I don't remember. I woke up early this morning in the hospital, having no idea how I got there. They examined me, but there was nothing wrong. The officer offered to bring me home, finishing my statement here." She said in a small, shaky voice.

"This is my fault, that you were taken. My mother, I don't know what the hell she was thinking, or why they wanted you, but I'm going to find out who did this to you." He said as he kissed the side of her temple.

"It's not your fault, so you can stop blaming yourself right now. I'm fine, nothing happened to me."

"It - It was like I was reliving that night, with Samantha all over again. Scully, I thought I would never see you again." He exhaled deeply, resting his forehead on hers.

"I'm here, I'm fine. We'll figure this out together." She said, enclosing her lips on his. He pulled her into his lap, holding her as tightly as he possibly could.

"I think I need to stay a little longer, and talk to my mother. You two should still head back tomorrow, but -" He let out a heavy sigh.

"That's okay, I understand." She said, leaning down to meet his lips again. "There, uh, is something that we need to talk about though. There was something they found when they examined me."

"I thought you said everything was okay, Scully...what happened? What's wrong?" He began to frantically ask. She smiled at his worried expression.

"Mulder, calm down. I'm fine." She said with a small chuckle. "I'm pregnant."


	9. Chapter 9

After spending their last day there exploring the town, they were exhausted. They settled themselves in for bed, Mulder practically holding Scully tight enough to meld them together as one.

"Mulder, I'm not going anywhere." She said lightly. He let out a heavy sigh, anxiety still high from the night before.

"I'm just making sure, Scully. Don't want to take any chances." He said as he leaned down to kiss her. "I'm sorry, none of this should have ever happened to you."

"We've already been over this, I'm fine. I'm not going to let you beat yourself up over whatever happened."

"I know, I know. After I hopefully find some more answers, I - I promise, I'll drop it."

"Just...promise me that you'll come home. I know this is important to you, but-"

"I won't do anything that's too risky, I just want answers, reassurance that this is the end of it."

"Okay..." She said in a small voice, not fully believing that he would be able to contain his curiosity if he was given the chance to know more.

"So, uh, does this mean you believe my alien abduction theory now?" He asked playfully, drawing circles on her skin absentmindedly with his finger.

"We don't know that that's what happened to me for sure. I don't have any of the other signs of the other presumed abductees, and I wasn't even gone for an entire day." She said exasperated. They had already had this conversation at least five times that day, each resulting in the same argument.

"But Scully, how do you explain what I experienced, and your disappearance." He slightly whined.

"I'm sure there's an explanation for that as well, I am just choosing not to dwell on it. I'm here, and I'm perfectly fine. Other than the thing growing in my stomach, again, thanks to you." She said teasingly.

"How do you think we should tell Holly?"

"I don't know, maybe we should wait until I get home and have a follow up with my own doctor. For now, I think it's best we just keep it to ourselves." She said in a small voice, more so worried about how Holly would take the sudden news.

He nodded, leaning down to capture her lips with his, sealing their sentiments. She rested her head back on his chest, cuddling into his side, drifting off to sleep. His mind was still running a mile a minute, with the most recent events that transpired. There were answers that he needed, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to obtain them.

The next morning, he drove both of them to the airport, reluctantly parting ways with his family. He knew he would feel better with them by his side, but part of him was saying that they would be much safer far away from him. He felt guilty, for dragging them into the mess of his life, that not even he fully understood. He made his way back to his mother's house, her waiting for him on the couch, knowing the conversation to come.

"You're back so soon." She said stoically, attempting to remain as calm as possible.

"The sooner I can find out the truth, the sooner I can be home with my family." He spat, stubbornness already clouding his mind.

"Lucky for you, the truth works out in your favor, Mr. Mulder." The cigarette smoking bastard said smugly as he came walking in from the kitchen. Mulder glared his eyes at him, clenching his jaw, trying to compose himself long enough to get the answers he sought.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean? You have about 5 minutes to start talking, before I find another way to get the answers from you." He growled, his hands already forming into fists.

"Fox, please, let us explain." His mother said sternly.

"As a child, you experienced something not many people have the luxury to remember. You were touched, in a unique way that gave you extraordinary intellectual abilities. We had never dealt with such an issue, and didn't know what that would mean if you were to reproduce. We've taken genetic samples from you, over the years during your many visits to the hospital. When we found out about the child, we needed to test her as well. I promised your mother I wouldn't touch her, but it was necessary for the other half of her genetic makeup for us to determine if she would inherit these abilities."

"You - you knew about Holly? You both knew." He said in a rough voice.

"It was our job to monitor you over the years, track your successes. We knew about her the minute her mother found out she existed in her womb. Why do you suppose Dr. Scully had this amazing opportunity to bring her to DC?" He said smugly, inhaling a puff from his cigarette.

"So it wasn't just a coincidence then, everything about her being here was intentional. You brought them here, because of me. She was put into this danger, because of me."

"I assure you, she was never in danger. We were unable to test her ova as we would have preferred, given that she was already pregnant. We took the samples we needed, concluding that the child is not what we thought she would be. You should be thanking me, Mr. Mulder. You have the truth, and it does not favor the people I work for."

"So you'll leave me and my family alone? I swear to god, if you come after them in any way, I will come after you." He said with a promise. The bastard looked at him with a sly grin, nodding his head in understanding. He made a silent exit, nothing more left to say.

Mulder's mind was in a whirlwind, only relieved to know that the child growing in Scully's stomach was in fact theirs. He had doubted that, given some of the research he had put in to other abductee cases. He didn't know if he could trust the words, that they wouldn't be bothered, but knew he had to take them at face value and move on from dwelling on it. He knew he had to enjoy his life, with Scully and Holly and their soon to be newest addition to their family. He mentally laughed to himself, at the family man that he had become, seemingly overnight. He knew he couldn't keep any of this from Scully, he just needed to find a way to tell her. First, he had to deal with his mother, who was silently sipping her tea, avoiding his burning gaze.

"You knew, about Holly." He said accusingly, void of emotion.

"I was told, when she was about a year old. At that time, they didn't want you to find out, and they said any sign of your knowledge of her needed to be reported. Their plans changed, just this year, given her age. If she had any signs of inheriting your abilities, they expected they would begin to show now."

"You kept the fact, that I had a chid, for 10 years. How could you not tell me."

"I didn't think you'd ever find out about her. And even if you did, no one expected for you to be with her mother."

"What difference does it make if I am? I fell in love with her before I even suspected that Holly was my daughter, if I'm being completely honest. You know what, I don't care about how it happened, that doesn't matter to me anymore. All that matters is that I have my family, which I don't necessarily consider you a part of anymore. If you'll excuse me, I need to pack up my things and get the hell away from here." He said bitterly, leaving his mother sitting there with a heavy guilt hanging over her.

* * *

He caught the first flight home, just needing the closeness to his family, relieved that this was over. It was late, so he made his way into her apartment slowly. They hadn't moved into their house yet, leaving it for after the holidays. He crept into her room, smiling at the sight of her curled up on his side of the bed, holding on tightly to his pillow. He spooned up behind her, causing her to startle slightly.

"Mulder?" She asked sleepily, turning on her back to face him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said as he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"S'okay. What are you doing back so soon?"

"I just missed you that much."

"Mulder..."

"I found the answers that I was seeking, and didn't want to waste another minute away from you." He said with a heavy sigh, knowing the conversation wasn't over.

"Wh - What did you find out?" She asked cautiously, sitting up straighter, not knowing if she wanted the truth.

"We can talk about it tomorrow, let's just get some sleep."

"I don't think I'm going to sleep, without knowing what you know." She said in a small voice. He exhaled deeply, nodding in understanding. He sat up, gathering her in his arms to cuddle into his side.

He repeated all that he knew, letting her absorb the information carefully. He could feel her breath hitch at certain details, grip tightening on his body at others. She hadn't said anything in response, worrying him that he revealed too much.

"Are we safe?" She finally asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know, but for now, yes. He said my child isn't what they had hoped, so I don't think there's anything more they want from me."

"And this baby, it's ours...?"

"That's why you were returned so quickly, you were already pregnant. I can show you how that happened, if you need more of a visual." He leered at her, trying to ease the mood. She chuckled, swatting at his chest playfully, welcoming the break in tension.

"Why are you on my side of the bed?" She asked suddenly, taking in her surroundings.

"Because someone invaded my side, and my pillow." He teased. Color tinged her cheeks, knowing exactly why she subconsciously buried herself in his scent. She missed him. She flashed him a sly smirk, crawling carefully on top of him, straddling his lap. Arousal filled his eyes, seeing her hovering above him. She leaned down, lingering just above his lips, smiling at him.

"Scoot over." She whispered into his mouth, letting herself plop on the opposite side, back on her normal half of the bed.

"That was mean, Scully." He groaned, covering her body with his. She giggled, loving playing this game with him. She reached up to play with a stray lock of his hair, reveling in the sight of this man that she loved.

"I would ask what you plan to do about it, but I need sleep. Your second spawn is making my exhausted." She said as she cuddled into his side, resting her head on his chest.

"How am I already being blamed for this?"

"Because I'm going to have to attempt to control 3 of you, which means I need all the rest I can get now." She mumbled, already succumbing to sleep. He chuckled, rubbing her back in a comforting gesture, drifting off to sleep himself.

The next morning, Mulder was set to return to work, Scully having to take an extra week since her parents had to stay in San Diego longer, for her father's recovery. He was reluctant to leave them alone, but had to take the bastard's word that they wouldn't be harmed, given that he didn't have more to go off of.

He was called into a meeting, worried they were going to send him off on another case, out of town. He entered the room cautiously, no other agents present for the meeting.

"Agent Mulder, please have a seat." Assistant Director Skinner said authoritatively, gesturing to the chairs before him. "We have a case that we could use your assistance on, a serial rapist. He's been targeting young women in New York, leaving less time between victims. He's escalating, and we need help profiling him, tracking him down."

"Do you just need a profile?" Mulder asked distractedly as he looked over the file.

"We need your profile." Skinner said sternly, implication clear. Mulder had the ability to not only get inside of these criminal's minds, but it was almost as if he became them, could predict their next move. He sighed heavily, nodding in acceptance of the newest case.

He finished looking over the file, not really wanting to take the case out of town. He hoped it would at least be a quick profile, not causing him to spend too much time away from his family. He made his way home, seeing Scully busy around the house in a frenzy. She was cleaning, everything, and Holly was nowhere to be seen, signaling that something was wrong.

"Scully, I think you missed a spot over here." He called out from the living room, causing her to poke her head in from the kitchen. She glared at him, before walking over to greet him home.

"How was your first day?" She asked as she stretched up to give him a small kiss. He exhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "Oh, just as good as mine I can see." She scoffed, plopping down on the couch exhaustedly.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"It's my fault, really." She said with a deep sigh. "I made a follow up appointment for my doctor tomorrow, and was in the shower when they called to confirm it. She walked in from her room as they were leaving the voicemail, and they mentioned something about the ultrasound. I think she put two and two together, and has been holed up in her room ever since."

"Well it's not like we had originally planned to tell her, but I thought she'd be more excited about it."

"I did, too. I don't know, I think she's figuring out how she feels about it, but she refused to come out of her room. I offered her lunch, but she just said no, and went back to reading."

"Let me try to talk to her, see what the underlying issue is." He said as he began to separate from her embrace. He made his way into the kitchen wordlessly, causing her to be confused about where he was going.

"Plan to play psychologist?" She asked with the arch of her eyebrow as she called from over the couch.

"Give me some credit, Scully. I'm not planning to shrink the child's mind, I'm planning to use bribery." He said as he held up a carton of ice cream and two spoons. She rolled her eyes at him, sinking back into the couch as he made his way to Holly's room.

He entered the room slowly, seeing the same stubborn look on his daughter's face that he had encountered on several occasions with her mother. He bit back his amusement, approaching her bed cautiously.

"Can I interest you in a pre-dinner snack?" He said gently, holding up the ice cream. She glanced at him over her book, mentally questioning his intentions.

"Bribery won't work, mom already tried."

"Ice cream always works." He said lightly as he handed her the carton. She took it, grabbing the offered spoon from his hand.

"I know you're going to ask me what's wrong."

"Nah, I was just going coming to spend time with you, since this is where you like to spend your time these days."

"How was your first day back to work?"

"It was uneventful, just a typical day I guess. How was your day?"

"Fine." She said with a shrug. "Are you excited?" She asked suddenly. He knew avoiding the actual issue at hand would drive her mad, causing her to ask the questions, getting to the root of the problem.

"I am, it'll be new for us, but I think it's a good thing, don't you?" He said carefully, transitioning into the true conversation.

"I guess so." She said in a small voice. "Do you think...you would have been excited about me, if you found out when my mom did?" He sighed heavily, realizing exactly what the issue was.

"I guarantee you I would have. I was more than excited even when I found out about you now. This, it's just going to be a new addition for our family, our family that we already have." He said as he situated himself next to her, pulling her into his arms.

"I don't know, I guess, you are together now, and it'll be different."

"It will be different, but not in the way you're thinking. We're all still adjusting, and this will just be another change for us along the way." He said as he kissed her temple.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything."

"Can I - uh, would it be okay if I started calling you dad?" She asked in the tiniest voice, almost as if she was scared of the answer. His breath caught in his throat, fighting back the emotions rushing through him. He had been addressed by many names along the years, but this by far was his favorite. He smiled, pulling her in tighter.

"I would love that." He said in a soft voice. She smiled brightly at him, feeling more confident in their newest family development. They finished having a more casual conversation, enjoying their time together. He finally confiscated the ice cream, making his way back out the living room. Scully was anxiously cleaning the main area. She looked at him expectantly, and he just smiled and nodded at her, causing her to let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

They enjoyed a more relaxed dinner together, Holly in a much better mood than she had been all day. Scully was relieved that he was able to talk to her, loving how easily he had fallen into the parent role. When they first made their discovery, she never expected him to step up this much, be this heavily involved in both of their lives. It amused her, how everything worked out, forced or not. She could sense there was something else on his mind, knowing there was a discussion to follow once they were alone.

"What aren't you telling me?" She asked accusingly as she crawled into bed beside him.

"I've been asked to assist on an active case, in New York." He said with a heavy sigh. "They want me to profile, they've been stuck, and need something to hopefully give them the breakthrough they've been looking for."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know, but if I can't crack through this in the first two days there, I'm coming home, I promise."

"Mulder, they need your help. As long as it's not another undercover assignment that I don't know about, then I want you to do what you have to. It's a tough price to pay, being that brilliant." She teased lightly. He scoffed, less confident in himself.

"I just hate being away from you, especially now." He said as he ran his hand along her flat stomach. She smiled at the gesture, still curious about what him and Holly had talked about.

"I'm pregnant, Mulder, not helpless. We'll be fine, just don't do anything stupid." She said with a playful glare.

"I make no promises, Scully, but I will try my best." He teased back, enclosing his lips on hers.

"So, how long are you going to make me wait before you tell me what you and Holly talked about?" She asked innocently, causing him to chuckle. He knew it was driving her crazy not to know.

"That was private ice cream conversation, I can't break that pact." She leaned back from his embrace, far enough to glare at him, eyebrow arching. He huffed out a small laugh, nodding.

"I think her biggest concern was that I was going to be more excited about this baby, than I was about her. It's a different dynamic, now that we're together. She was just having reservations about feeling left out, like we would love this child more."

"Is that your professional opinion?"

"What can I say, Scully? I am brilliant." He said pridefully, lightening the mood. She chuckled and shook her head at him, loving him more for being so amazing with them. "She, uh, did ask if she could call me dad." He said sheepishly.

She didn't say anything, just looked at him blissfully, a genuine smile touching her lips. She reached up to capture his lips with hers, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Never would she have imagined to have this, especially with him. Of course, they knew now that it wasn't some twist of fate, but a forced happening. That didn't matter, because them being together was never part of the plan, that was completely their doing.

* * *

Mulder made his way to New York the next evening, getting himself situated in the motel, already missing his family. He had been briefed on the case, given all the information they had on the perp so far. He was to meet with the team the next morning, diverse himself into the case firsthand. He exhaled deeply, throwing himself on the bed, picking up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Miss me already?"

"Of course, I'm glad you waited for my fiancé to be gone to call, he gets awfully jealous." She teased.

"Ha ha, Scully. How'd your appointment go today?"

"Great, I am definitely pregnant. About 7 weeks according to the doctor."

"Scully, if my calculations are correct, we got pregnant on our second first time." He teased. She huffed out a small chuckle, grin touching the corner of her lips.

"Yeah, apparently that's our thing. I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. I guess I just chalked it up to a change in work flow, and traveling. How's the case going?"

"I meet with the team tomorrow morning, but this guy is absolutely sick, completely twisted in the head. I don't know, I think I'm just worried about having to get too far into his mind. I haven't had to make this repulsive of a profile in a long while." He said with a heavy sigh.

"But that's why they asked for you, they believe you're the only one who can crack this case. Just do what you do best, and get home." She said sternly.

"Yes, dear." He said with a chuckle. They spoke for a while longer, before reluctantly ending the call.

Three days.

It had been three days since Scully had heard from Mulder, and her anxiety was rising. She knew he was okay, physically, because every time she called the local office, they let her know that he would call her back. That call had yet to come. He hadn't checked in, not even once, and that terrified her. She was going absolutely stir-crazy, not having work to throw herself into as a distraction. Her father was cleared to fly again, so her parents were returning home that evening. Something inside of her said that Mulder needed her help, and she devised a plan in her head.

"I'm glad to see you both again." She said as she greeted her parents at the airport. She had a small bag in her hand that her mother eyed instantly, asking the silent question with her eyes.

"We're happy to be home." Maggie said carefully, not wanting to ask the question out loud.

"I, uh, would you mind taking my car and Holly, I need to visit Mulder. He's on a case in New York, and -" Her voice drifted off, afraid to say her worry out loud, as if it would make it more of a reality.

"Of course, dear. We'll see you when you get back." Maggie said as she kissed her daughter's cheek for comfort and reassurance that everything would be okay.

Scully had called in to the bureau to find out where he was staying, using her credentials when she arrived to get her the exact room number. She cautiously made her way to his room, a shaky hand entering the key. She opened the door slowly, gasping at the sight of the empty room. It was filled with take out boxes, clothes strewn all over the place. She knew, even as a bachelor, Mulder never lived like this, only confirming her fear.

She knew he was worried, and had mentioned before, that he gets so far off track when he profiles, gets into the heads of these monsters, becoming them. She settled herself on the end of the bed, waiting, hoping, for him to return.

After several hours, she could hear someone fumbling outside with the key. She startled, worried that someone was attempting to break into the room, so she crept slowly to look through the peephole. She could see him leaning against the door in distress, giving up on entering the room.

"Mulder, what the hell." She said sternly as she opened the door, helping him inside. She sat him on the bed and he instantly grabbed her waist forcefully, pulling her towards him.

"Scully, you miss me that much?" He leered at her, slurring his words.

"You're drunk." She said accusingly, stiffening in his arms.

"I missed you." He said as he brought her head down to his, roughly kissing her lips. She pushed against him, finally fighting her way out of his embrace.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You disappeared, again. You haven't returned any of my calls, and I was worried." She spat. He tried to focus on her, a new sensation washing over him.

"I just really missed you." He said as he reached out to grasp onto her hand, yanking her towards him. The nervousness began to build inside of her as his grip on her body deepened. "I missed your touch, and the smell of you." He said as he buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her skin.

"Mulder, please, stop." She said in a shaky voice, masking her emotions. He pulled his head back, and she gasped at the look in his eyes. It was feral, wild, something she had never seen before. This went beyond the look of arousal she had encountered on numerous occasions, this was needy, as if he was addicted to her.

She composed her breathing as best she could, cradling his face in her hands, stroking his cheek softly. She knew she had to ease his way out of whatever mindset and trance he had found himself in.

"Mulder, it's me, it's Scully." She said softly. "I'm going to help you get into bed, so you can sleep this off, okay?"

"Will you be sleeping with me?" He said in a rough voice.

"Yes, but you need to let me go so I can help you in bed, okay?"

"Mhm...okay." He said as he inhaled her scent again. As terrified as she was, she was taking mental notes of everything he did, hoping it would help him break the case, and bring him home.

She helped him change, seeing the sly smirk on his face as she undressed him. It was unnerving, to see the smug smile on his face, a look she's never seen bestowed on him. Her stomach was twisting, worried for him, for them both. He laid back on the pillows as she sat beside him, almost afraid to lay next to him.

"Oh, Mulder...what is this case doing to you?" She said as she ran her fingers through his hair as he drifted off to sleep. Her mind was restless, unable to ease the thoughts bouncing around sporadically. She situated herself in the small chair in the room, opening a book as a distraction. Eventually she succumbed to pure exhaustion, both physically and mentally.

He roused the next morning, sluggishly sitting up in his bed, taking in his surroundings. He mentally groaned at any movements, attempting to piece together what happened last night. He sobered immediately when he saw Scully sleeping curled up in the chair beside the bed. Glimpses of the evening flashed through his mind, guilt rushing through him. She looked so small, so vulnerable. He composed himself, quietly scooting over to sit on the end of the bed near her. He stroked her cheek softly with the back of his fingers, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She sleepily hummed at the contact, her eyes fluttering open.

She stiffened at the sight of him, before seeing the soft, warm look radiating through his eyes that she loved. She sat up straighter, holding his gaze, knowing he was already sorry.

"Scully, I - I don't know what happened last night." He began to say frantically.

"I've never seen you like that before." She said in a small voice, bowing her head to avoid his eyes.

"I know, and it wasn't really me, as lame as that sounds. I, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, you didn't. You were aggressive, but you didn't hurt me."

"God, Scully, I never meant to frighten you. When I profile, I just transform into whoever these lunatics are, and I can't control it. I've never had someone to reign me in. That's a part of me I never wanted you to see." He said in a soft voice.

"Mulder, I'll admit, the look I saw in your eyes was unnerving, but I never doubted my trust for you." She said genuinely, getting up to situate herself between his legs. She ran her hand through his hair, him sighing at the contact, placing his hands on her waist. She leaned into him, both exhaling deeply into the embrace.

He rested his head on her stomach, kissing it softly. She smiled at the notion, relieved he was back to himself. He leaned back to face her, a silent apology passing through his eyes. She nodded, leaning down to kiss him, sealing their sentiments.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her mouth.

"I know." She said with another kiss. "How much longer do you have to put yourself through this?"

"I don't know, I threw myself into the case as soon as I got here, but have only been able to pinpoint that his victims look like his late mother. He follows them home, but we don't know from where, and their socioeconomic statuses vary. It's hard for me to believe that he's targeting random, blue-eyed brunettes, simply because they trigger the memory of his mother." He said with an exhausted sigh.

"You, uh - last night, you kept...sniffing me." She said carefully. He furrowed his brow, tilting his head in confusion.

"Like, you hair, or your skin?"

"Mostly my neck, like the smell of me was your need for life. I don't know, I just thought that was strange."

"What if, it's his mother's perfume. That's what he's after, her scent." He began to say frantically. His mind was in a frenzy, already rummaging through crime scene photos in his head. He pulled out the several case files from his belongings, scattering them around the bed. She sat against the backboard, fascinated as she watched his mind work.

"Each victim was attacked in their home, varying in different locations all over town. If we map it, the focal point...is a mall." He said in an amazed whisper. "He must be waiting, for someone of a specific description to buy that type of perfume. That's why the time between each victim varies. I need to get down to the local offices, see if we can send in an agent of that description as a trap." He said as he began to change his clothes.

"Mulder, wait. How long are you going to be gone this time?" She jumped off the bed, her tone more stern than she anticipated. He paused, giving her an apologetic look.

"Hopefully not long. Once I get this kind of breakthrough, it's only a matter of catching him. Were you planning on leaving today...?"

"I mostly came out here to find out where the hell you were. I hadn't heard from you in three days, I was worried. I - I'll still be here when you get back today."

He walked towards her, gathering her in his arms in one swift movement. He rested his forehead on hers, both of them needing the reassurance.

"I love you, you know that right?" He said genuinely.

"Yes, but you can prove it to me later by taking me to dinner." She said as the smile began to curve on her lips. He huffed out a small laugh, feeling like he was amazingly lucky to have her in his life.

"I'll see if I can fit you in, my fiancé is awfully demanding." He teased. She playfully glared at him, swatting at his arm.

"Shut up, Mulder." She said as she reached up to reach his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the embrace.

"We're good?" He asked cautiously, holding her gaze.

"We're just fine." She said with a genuine smile.

They both knew there would need to be adjustments made, following this case. He couldn't keep profiling this intensely, not if it meant losing himself, always needing her to pull him back. It was a discussion to be had, moving forward in a positive light, together.


	10. Chapter 10

Mulder had returned from his trip to New York, Scully and him feeling more secure in their relationship. Once he wrapped up the case, she felt confident that he was in the right state of mind again. Holly was more than thrilled to have them both back, missing her parents.

"So I was thinking that this weekend we would start moving things into the new house." Mulder said offhandedly as they were getting ready for work. He had practically moved into her apartment already, his bachelor pad long forgotten.

"You're actually letting me see the place in which I'm being kidnapped to?" She teased. They had been so busy during and after the holidays, they hadn't found the time to check it out in person.

"Are you implying that I'm taking you against your will? Because I'm pretty sure 'god, yes, Mulder' was clear indication that you are very much consenting in this relationship." Her eyes widened, playfully swatting his chest.

"Shut up, Mulder. It was the pregnancy hormones talking." A smirk appearing on her lips as she finished putting on her subtle makeup.

"Ouch, way to boost the ego, Scully." He mock glared at her. They both loved how easy it was between them, almost childlike.

"I'm sure Holly will be ecstatic with the idea, she's been talking nonstop about how she's going to decorate her new room." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"We can shop around, too. She can pick out stuff she likes."

"You're spoiling her, Mulder."

"I spoil you, too...just in very different ways." He said in a smooth voice, coming to stand behind her, planting a kiss on her neck. His lips on her skin sent a shiver of remembrance through her body. He was definitely doing very crafty things with his tongue last night, he had a valid argument. She whimpered as his tongue began to flicker against the sensitive spot below her ear.

"Touche." Was all she managed to get out, attempting to compose herself to mask her instant arousal. He smiled against her, he knew she was trying to act uninterested.

"I should head out, I have a meeting first thing this morning. It's not for a couple of hours, but somehow I always manage to show up late." He groaned. They still took separate cars to work, no one knowing about their relationship just yet. Other agents definitely noticed the shiny piece of jewelry on Dr. Scully's ring finger, but she wasn't the most personable person, so no one really asked.

"You do? So do I. Who's yours with?"

"Agent Stewart, a new case I think."

"Well, I guess I'll see you at work then." She said mysteriously, stepping away from him to finish changing. He narrowed his eyes at her, kissing her on the cheek and making his exit.

She drove Holly to school, stopping to get a coffee for herself and for him. She had been called in to work the same case apparently, that little known fact going unknown by him. When she entered the conference room, she saw that it was 5 minutes until the meeting, and he still wasn't there. She rolled her eyes, masking the smirk slowly appearing on her face. When he came running in to the briefing, he noticed the familiar head of red hair, smiling and shaking his head to himself. This was the first real case they would be working on together since they've taken so many drastic steps in their relationship.

"You could have enlightened me that we would be working the same case." He whispered into her ear, sitting in the open seat beside her. He didn't know if she intentionally saved it for him, but the amusement of thinking she did caused him to smile. There were a lot more agents than usual, it must be a big case.

"What's the fun in that? You should be nice to me though, I brought you coffee." She slid the cup to him as he noticed the matching one in her hand.

"Should you be drinking coffee?" He asked a little louder than he intended. Her eyebrow shot up, the cup stopping at her lips.

"It's decaf." Was all she said as she shifted her body more away from him, facing the front of the room. There was no need for further conversation, and they already had the unwanted attention of a few eavesdroppers. He let out a deep sigh, this was going to be more challenging than he thought.

As they listened to the details of the case, Mulder's nerves were getting the better of him. All he had to hear was 'hostage situation,' 'high risk robbery,' and 'sending in the team,' for him to immediately worry about Scully. He didn't know why they needed her on the case, from surface level, it wasn't necessary. He was hoping she was just here as a formality, on standby in case the body count began to rise.

"Dr. Scully, we'll ask that you go in to administer any necessary medical attention to those injured. We've received several reports that a few injuries have already been sustained." She nodded in understanding. It wasn't exactly her area of expertise, but she was the closest medically trained agent they had. Mulder began to fidget, knowing she had to walk straight into the line of fire. She turned slightly to face him, narrowing her eyes at him to stop. She knew what his apprehensions were, but she needed to focus on the case at hand.

When they were dismissed, he followed her out of the office, close enough for his comfort, but far enough away that it wouldn't rise too much suspicion. Before they met up with the team downstairs, he pulled her into an empty hallway, standing in front of her, their faces only inches apart.

"I don't want you out there, Scully." He was being sincere, but he was hovering and that annoyed her.

"Mulder, I'm perfectly capable of bandaging up a few wounds."

"It's not your ability that I'm questioning, but you're -" He exhaled deeply, she understood without words needed.

"I won't do anything too risky, I promise." She reached up to cradle his face with her soft hand, him instantly relaxing into the embrace.

"I'm going in with you then."

"No, he could kill you for even trying. You heard them, no one is going in other than medical personnel. We don't want to trigger anything."

"You're not going in alone." He was persistent, and this is what she was afraid of with working together. She knew it was just in his nature, but it opposed to her independence that she heavily relied on.

"That's not exactly for you to decide." She huffed as she stepped away from his closeness to meet with the other agents. He knew he was being controlling and overbearing but he couldn't help it. He cared too much to let anything happen to her.

As they made their way to the hostage site in the van, she chose to sit on the opposite end from him, already creating a distance. She situated the vest on herself, while he disappeared to talk to the agent in charge. She would kill him if he so much as uttered a word about her being pregnant. When he returned to her side, he had a defeated look on his face.

"It's just you going in for now." His voice was showing all the emotions rushing through him, and if they weren't standing in the middle of about 20 other agents, she would have kissed him. She would have cradled his face and assured him that she was going to be just fine, that this was too important to her to risk.

"I'll be careful."

"I know." He twitched towards her, as if he was going to kiss her, suddenly realizing his surroundings. He let out a heavy sigh, and nodded in resignation. They were definitely going to need to make some changes when they were done with this.

He watched her be escorted to the main door where the suspect was standing behind one of the hostages. He motioned for the other agents to stop, leaving Scully to approach alone. Mulder was going out of his mind crazy, he hated this. It was when she fully disappeared inside that he ran to the surveillance van, refusing to leave.

"I'm Dr. Scully, they were told some people in here might need some help." She said carefully. They didn't have eyes on her, but they could hear her. The blindness of the entire operation was killing Mulder.

"Yeah, uh, over there. She's been crying and she won't shut up." The suspect growled. His name was Steven, that much she had already known.

"Hi, can you tell me what's wrong?" She approached the younger girl, mid-twenties. The sheer look of fear emitting from her eyes. Her skin was pale, clammy.

"I just don't feel good. I don't have my insulin with me." Scully nodded in understanding.

"She needs medicine. I can't do anything for her from here, we need to take her outside to get help."

"No, she stays. No one leaves, not even you. You're in here now, and if they want you back, they're going to have to kill me first." Scully's eyes widened, this wasn't what they expected. He was too off the hinges, more than they anticipated.

That was all Mulder needed to hear to run out of the van and straight towards the building. He ignored the calls of his name behind him, only stopping when he was physically restrained. Agent Stewart gave him a warning look, already guessing what was driving him to this idiocy.

"Agent Mulder, you need to stand down."

"This wasn't the plan. She was supposed to be in and out." He growled through gritted teeth. He was anxious, knowing he should have never let her agree to this assignment. He also knew it would have been a waste of an argument because she was going to do whatever the hell she wanted.

"Sending you in isn't going to help the situation either."

"It could…" His voice already drifting off in thought. "Send me in, maybe I can get through to him. You know there's no one better for that than me." He urged desperately. Agent Stewart could see the panicked look in his eyes, but knowing he was right.

"Alright, we're going to find a way to get you in there without setting him off. Let's get back to the van." He urged him away from stupidly running into the situation.

Mulder figured that offering to bring food would be their best option, persisting that they could bring in more things like medicine, and leading him to accepting them to bring in insulin for the sick woman inside. It worked like a charm, and he had approval from the suspect to enter. The thought occurred to him that with both of them working this case, Holly would have no idea what was going on. Maggie was set to pick her up from school, so he didn't have to worry about her there, but he wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be fine. He almost laughed to himself, a few months ago he would have just ran inside, no forethought for anyone else.

He called the school, asking to speak to her. The worry in her voice from getting a phone call mid-day was apparent, and he winced for making her anxious about a situation she had no clue about.

"Hey, I was just calling to let you know that your mom and I are working on a case together, and it might be a late night."

"Oh okay, is something else wrong?" She asked skeptically. He should have known, she was Scully in every way.

"No, it's just taking a lot out of us. I, uh, don't have much time to talk and I still need to call your grandma and let her know, but I just wanted to call and -" He paused, knowing his next words would tip her off as to things being not fine at all. "Just wanted to say I love you, we both do."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing, I'll tell you all about it later, I promise."

"Fine." She had her mother's stubbornness, too. "I love you, too...dad."

He almost lost it at the mention of her calling him that. She had asked, but since then there was never a time she had called him that directly. He had too much to lose to let this bastard win.

When he approached the main door with a box of food and a medical bag, Scully's eyes widened at the sight of him. He was ushered inside by the suspect, nearly throwing him to the ground. She walked over to his side, reaching for the medical bag and leaning in close enough so that only he could hear her.

"Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing in here?" She hissed. Her nerves were getting the better of her and seeing him in here with her was too much for her pregnancy hormones to handle.

"I told you I wasn't letting you come in here alone. Besides, I'm the best person to get into his head, we all know that." He said as he met her eyes. She let out a heavy sigh, nodding in resignation as he began to hand out snacks and she attended to the sickly woman.

The suspect was getting antsy, fidgeting and pacing. Mulder was watching his every move, trying to figure him out. He knew this plan of his was ill thought out, and just needed to find his motive for coming in here.

"Are you hungry?" Mulder asked him soothingly, handing him a wrapped sandwich. He eyed it, nodding silently. He looked young, scared. No ring on his finger, which meant there was another motive other than a woman.

"You can't leave either. Whoever is in, stays in." His voice was calmer, not as urgent as it had been when he was yelling at Scully.

"Okay...do you know how long we'll be here? There's a baseball game on that I was looking forward to tonight." Mulder joked, noticing the slight twitch of his lips. Perhaps this wasn't a total lost cause after all.

"I - I don't know. I wasn't planning to get caught." Mulder chuckled at that.

"Yeah, that's never quite in the 'robbing a bank' plan."

"I just needed some money for her, I didn't - this wasn't…" He began to stammer. Mulder noticed his wall going down, and took his chance to fully push through to him. Scully could see his mind working, knowing this nightmare was hopefully going to be over soon.

"We all do really stupid things in moments of desperation." He said, glancing over at Scully. She caught his gaze, eyebrow twitching up. "Who did you do this for?"

"My daughter. She's only a few months old, but I can't give her what I want. I feel like a failure." He reflected on his thoughts, the realization beginning to grow that he was letting his guard down. He immediately stiffened, building the barrier between them again. Mulder let out a heavy sigh, at least they found his motive.

"How's she doing?" He asked as he came to sit next to Scully. She gave him a wary look, the woman resting her head in her lap.

"She'll be fine now that she has insulin, she just needs to rest. Mulder, what the hell are you doing in here?" She asked pointedly. He knew he was risking her being angry with him, but he wasn't going to let her do this alone.

"I was going crazy out there, knowing you didn't have backup. I wasn't just going to sit around and do nothing. There's too much to risk."

"You think you're not risking a lot coming in here? What about Holly? Did you ever think of her before you came rushing in here to be my knight in shining armor?"

"I called her to let her know that everything was okay before I came in. I just wanted to reassure her, so she didn't have to worry. She's the first one I thought of, other than you…" He was hurt that she would assume that, though he knew his track record. She sighed heavily, wanting to kiss him, hold him close. She knew they couldn't show any kind of emotion towards each other, especially any signs of weakness in front of the suspect.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't fair. I'm just stressed."

"I know, I know…" He went to reach for her hand, stopping mid motion, clenching his jaw that he couldn't even comfort her in this situation. "I'm going to get us out of this, I'm done sitting around."

"Mulder, please don't do something stupid."

"Scully, I'm actually hurt by your lack in faith of me."

"Your track record isn't that great."

"Alright, fair enough, but I'm doing this in your best interest, just remember that when you're mad at me later." He playfully glared his eyes at her, both of them welcoming the small break in tension.

He approached the suspect again, noticing his agitation rising. He needed to find another window of opportunity to get through to him, so he focused on a common ground.

"Do you have a plan yet?"

"No, but I'm not leaving here until I get what I want."

"And what exactly is it that you want? I mean, if you leave here dead, your daughter gets nothing, not even memories with you."

"Shut up…"

"But if you leave here alive, at least she'll get to know you growing up. She'll know you loved her, watched her personality blossom."

"Shut up!"

"I wish I had that." Hook, line, and sinker. His face immediately softened, he was intrigued about the meaning behind Mulder's words. Scully's head perked up, she was interested, too.

"Wh - what do you mean?"

"I barely found out I had a daughter, a few months ago. She's 10, I missed her entire childhood. I just wish I was able to be there, in any way…" His voice drifted off. His words were mostly for the show, mostly because it's how he felt. Scully's heart sank at his words, she loved this man more every day.

"It's not the same, I can't come back from this." His voice was wavering, now was Mulder's chance to dive right in.

"No one's injured, it's your first offense, you can work out a great deal for yourself. You're young, and you made a stupid decision...one that you can definitely come back from. Live to see your daughter grow up."

"I can't just...give up."

"You wouldn't be." Scully's voice piped up from behind them. She gave Mulder a sad smile, it was her way of telling him that he wasn't totally screwing up.

"I don't know, I just don't know yet." The suspect picked up the pacing again, Mulder letting out a resigned sigh.

"You did good." She reassured him as he settled himself next to her again.

"I was just hoping for more I guess."

"Without contact to the outside, we don't know what plans they already have in place."

"We didn't have much before I came in here, we barely got his motive. Unless…" He leaned in closer to her, causing her eyes to widen. She was the only one wearing a wire. "They brought his daughter and her mother here to the site."

"That would be a great plan of action, Agent Mulder."

"Thank you, Dr. Scully." He grinned at her, both of them amused by their little display.

The agents were scrambling outside, following their recommendation. They knew his name, but there was no one listed as a family contact, so they had to dig deeper. Finally a name popped up, and they were working fast. Within an hour, there was a small voice calling his name from the main door. The suspect hadn't been broken from his pacing, trying to devise a plan. He paused, mid stride, recognizing the voice immediately. He grabbed one of the hostages and shielded himself, approaching the door not as aggressively as he had before. His face was defeated as soon as he saw her, and he began to walk towards her. She was standing far enough away that he had to walk outside to talk to her.

Mulder took his chance, approaching cautiously behind the suspect, he found his moment of weakness and restrained him. The hostage flung herself to the side, and the suspect broke down in tears. It was over, everyone knew it.

Scully helped the EMTs to check and release all the hostages, Mulder helping to wrap up things on the FBI side. As they were putting their vests back in the truck, the other agents disappeared and before Scully could say something, Mulder had her in his arms. His lips enclosed on hers, and she melted into the embrace. All his emotions from the day were overpowering and he couldn't contain himself anymore. They separated when they heard someone clear their throat, her nearly jumping as far away from him as she could.

"I was coming to make sure everything was closed up over here." Agent Stewart said with a slight amusement in his voice. He glanced between the two agents, confirming everyone's suspicions.

"We, uh, were just putting our vests back. I'm going to -" She began to stammer as she just walked away. Mulder bit back the chuckle forming in his throat, he sensed that Stewart was already suspecting. They had been meaning to have a meeting with their AD, somehow never finding the time.

They both walked out to their cars together, her still maintaining a safe distance from him to not arise any suspicion. He was amused by her little ploy she thought she was putting on. She got into her car, and just as she put her key in the ignition, he swooped into her passenger seat, meeting her lips forcefully. It was as if he needed her touch to live, their lips gliding together passionately. She shifted to face him more, wrapping her arms around his neck. He broke back reluctantly, smirking at her disheveled, aroused appearance.

"We have a meeting tomorrow."

"Was that your way of breaking the news to me?" Her eyebrow began to arch, the smile playing at her lips.

"No, that was because I have been waiting all day to do that." He leaned in for another chaste kiss. "I think they're onto us, Scully." She chuckled against his mouth.

"Yeah, I gathered that when Stewart caught us making out like a bunch of teenagers. God, that was so embarrassing." She groaned.

"You think he'd go for one of us needed mouth to mouth?"

"Probably not." She was suppressing a smile, knowing that whatever happened, they'd come out of it together. "Do you think we're in trouble?"

"Nah, they'll probably just ask us the basic questions. There's no real rule against anything, but somehow I think public displays are frowned upon. Such a shame."

"I need to tell them I'm pregnant anyway. I'm sorry, for stressing you out. I know you had your reservations about me being in there."

"I was just worried for you, for us. I shouldn't have tried to...control the situation."

"That's okay, it's kind of nice to have someone to lean on, looking out for me."

"Don't give me that much room to work with Scully, I'll run with it." He teased, causing her to chuckle.

"How about you run back to your car, and pick up dinner. My mom didn't have a chance to cook anything, Holly had a project that she didn't start until two days before it's due."

"That...may be genetic. I'm not accepting blame, but I am just stating an observation."

"And now there's going to be 3 of you." She groaned again. He laughed, kissing her on the cheek before exiting the car to pick up dinner.

Holly was relieved to see them both home that evening, worried all day after Mulder's unexpected phone call. They told her about the case, with as many vague details as possible. They didn't want her to be concerned with their job, she never had to worry about Scully's before.

"So are we moving into the house this weekend?" Holly asked excitedly.

"That's the plan. Maybe tomorrow we can check out the house after school, and go shopping for some stuff for your new room." Mulder suggested, causing Scully's eyebrow to arch. "I'll let you come, too, if you behave yourself." He grinned at her, Holly chuckling.

"Yeah, well no one is going anywhere until your project is done, and you finish your meeting that you have set for tomorrow." She said pointedly, glaring at both of the guilty faces across from her. She was trying her hardest to suppress the smirk, she loved how much Holly was like him.

"You're such a party pooper, Scully." He teased as they both went back to work on her project. Her face fell slightly, knowing their work dynamic was going to change, needed to change, especially after all the events they faced today.

She excused herself to take a bath, Mulder instantly knowing that was her way of needing to clear her head. He put Holly to bed, stripping down to his boxers and opening the bathroom door slowly. She peeked an eye open at him, the grin on her face signaling that her alone time was over. Sans his last article of clothing, he crawled into the tub behind her, pulling her back to rest on his chest. His hands began moving over her small swell, more noticeable when clothing wasn't hiding it.

"Having fun, Mulder?" She leaned back just enough to see the complete amazement in his eyes. She kissed the bottom of his chin, resting her head back under that spot, against his chest.

"Scully, you're so beautiful. I - I never got to experience this the first time."

"I know, I'm glad you have that chance now. That we have that chance. Although, I wasn't showing nearly as much with her because I was so much younger."

"What are you going to tell them, tomorrow at the meeting?" She sighed, knowing there was a reason he needed this intimacy to calm his nerves.

"The truth, that we've been involved and are engaged. That we are planning to move in together within the next few days, so our addresses will be the same on record anyway."

"What about the baby?"

"They can't withhold work from me just because I'm pregnant."

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying -" He let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe you can request to stay in the labs and do the autopsies, more than actual field work."

"First you invade my bath, and now you want to lock me up in the lab?" She leaned away from him, eyebrow arching. He could tell she was being playful, which he knew meant she wasn't holding his possessiveness against him.

"I just know I can keep you safe in there, and there's no crazy suspects taking you hostage." He said as he kissed the spot on her neck below her ear. Shivers ran through her, and she could feel his hardness pressing into her lower back. She whimpered as his mouth began to explore the rest of her neck, their argument long forgotten.

The next morning, Scully woke to Mulder rubbing her arm in comforting strokes, her head resting on his bare chest. She definitely was going to love that part of living together even more. Not that he didn't practically already live there anyway. She smiled against him, placing a gentle kiss on his toned torso.

"Good morning." His voice was still deep and husky from sleep.

"Morning. What time is it?"

"Still early, we've got some time before we have to throw Holly out of bed."

"I don't know why she hates waking up in the morning. She's so difficult to get out of bed." Scully groaned into his body, feeling the slight chuckle rumbling in his chest.

"Scully, and I say this with the utmost love and adoration for you, but you are not exactly what I would call a morning person."

"I wake up just fine, Mulder. I don't know what you're talking about." She said defensively.

"Yes, you wake up just fine, but if I have to wake you up, I'm sometimes risking my life there."

"Shut up." She mumbled defeatedly against him, cuddling in more.

"What time's our lovely meeting today?"

"At 9:00. I've told you this a thousand times."

"Well, now that everyone already knows, we can probably drive to work together. Then you can make sure I'm not late." He flashed her a boyish grin, like he was absolutely proud of himself for thinking of this plan.

"Okay, but if I somehow end up late to this meeting, we're never carpooling again."

They eventually got Holly out of bed, making their way to work after dropping her off at school. Scully was nervous, knowing there was no real punishment that they would face, but maybe rules that they would now have to take extra precautions to follow. Their meeting was with AD Skinner and Agent Stewart, since he was their last SAIC.

"Agent Mulder, Dr. Scully, please have a seat." They nodded their hellos, both agreeing to keep any details to a minimum. "It's been brought to my attention that there are a few things we might need to discuss." Skinner began.

"Before we do…" Mulder interrupted, Scully's head snapping to give him a warning look. Stewart found the entire scene amusing, she might be just what he needs to stay grounded at work. "I would just like to point out that I've memorized the handbook cover to cover, and there's no real rules or regulations for interoffice affairs."

"That is true Agent Mulder, we just want to know the degree of this relationship. So you don't go blindly running into any future hostage situations any time soon, should Dr. Scully here be in another risky situation." Stewart added.

"Actually, sir, I would also like to disclose that I am currently about 8 weeks pregnant. I won't affect my ability to work, but it's something that I thought you should know." Scully said, bowing her head slightly. Both Skinner and Stewart looked between the two, amusement rising. Who would have thought the new, closed off doctor would be the one to enchant 'Spooky' Mulder.

"I see. Are you two...married?" He asked, glancing down at the ring on her finger.

"Not yet. But, our residences will combine as soon as, uh, this weekend." Mulder said with a guilty smile.

"Well, you're right, there are no set rules put into place. All we ask, is that if you should work cases together, you keep the public displays to a minimum." Skinner said pointedly, the accusatory look in Mulder's direction. He threw his hands up, feigning innocence.

"I can promise you that, but I'm not the one who loses the control in this relationship." He said teasingly. Her head snapped towards him again, lips pursed, eyebrow arched. He had to get his kicks where he could.

"Since we can both oblige by those rules, are we free to go, sir?" Scully asked, licking her lips and regaining her composure. She only killed Mulder in her head three times over already for his attempted humor.

"I don't see that there's anything else to discuss. Please let us know, when the, uh, marital status changes." She nodded, getting up and leaving the office without even looking back at him.

"I think I'm in trouble." He mumbled under his breath towards the other two agents suppressing their smug grins. He exhaled deeply, following his very moody, very stubborn, pregnant fiancee who he loved dearly. He found her moods absolutely adorable, and it was hard to take her seriously sometimes when the full pout was in action.

She ignored his calls, her heels clicking with a purpose through the bullpen as she made her way to the elevator. She was annoyed that it wasn't coming fast enough, giving him time to catch up. He managed to snake his way inside right before the doors closed, only them inside. Her arms were crossed in a protective stance, and she was staring straight ahead. He rocked on his heels, hands in his pockets, knowing the silence would drive her insane.

"I can't believe you did that back there! That was a professional meeting, Mulder, not a time for you to just joke around. If you're not going to take this seriously, then -" Her words were cut off by his lips. He hit the emergency button on the elevator, stopping them mid-flight down. She was annoyed, and angry with him, but his kiss was doing things to her traitorous hormones that caused her to sink into his embrace further.

"I'm sorry. I was just nervous, and I don't always handle talking about myself or my personal life very well. They already knew what was going on, that meeting was just a formality for them to put in their notes that it was addressed. I didn't mean to embarrass you." His voice was smooth, the look in his eyes was sincere. She reached up to cradle his cheek, planting another chaste kiss on his lips.

"I think we already broke our one and only rule." The smirk appearing on her lips, he could see the playful gleam in her eyes.

"We are actually on private property, in a private elevator, I don't see any public around." He leered at her, leaning down for another kiss. She chuckled against his lips, pushing him away softly.

"As much as I would love to stay here and do this all day, I have a body waiting for me downstairs."

"Wow, Scully. Already cheating on me, who is he?"

"She, is a mid-forties housewife who was found dumped in a nearby lake. Normally it would go to the local offices, but she's the niece of some high-ranked military officer."

"Ouch, you have fun with that. I think there's some paperwork I need to finish from yesterday, and whatever they bring my way. I'll pick you up for lunch."

"Okay, I'm actually really craving a cheeseburger today."

"A woman after my own heart." He teased, knowing it wasn't her usual order. He surprised her with a quick peck on the lips before disappearing in the elevator. Maybe working together wouldn't be so bad after all.

The weekend had arrived, and Mulder took both his girls shopping after they finally got to see the house. As much as Scully attempted to be annoyed by how much he was spending on Holly, she was eyeing her own things such as furniture, appliances, decorations. He was making a mental note of everything she would pick up, look at the price, and put back. Her birthday was coming up, he'd have more of a reason for the gifts.

Most of the necessities had been moved into the house, them staying there beginning that weekend. Scully loved the house, it was bigger than she would ever imagine for herself, but with their growing family, it was perfect. There was a wrap around porch, and a giant yard that Mulder had already talked about putting a pool in.

"Holly loves it here." She said in a sleepy voice, cuddling into his side.

"Just her?"

"Mm, no. I love having my family, our family together, officially."

"Good, you should remember that…" He began to say, flipping their position so he was situation more on top of her. "When all of the things I ordered today begin to show up tomorrow. Well, technically you ordered them, but I secretly made the purchases." He said cautiously. Her eyebrow began to arch, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Were you just following me around, buying everything I picked up?"

"No...I watched which things you checked the price for, and the colors you ran your hands over. I also -"

"So you were profiling me all day?" She asked teasingly.

"Wh - I, okay, technically yes, but you wouldn't let me buy anything for you."

"Because I don't need these things. I'm gracious for them, but I don't expect them."

"I know, and that's what I love about you. But let me shower you with gifts, please. I have 10 years to make up for, Scully. I gotta start somewhere." She chuckled, a new thought popping into her head as she reached up to play with the loose hair hanging in front of his forehead.

"Do you, uh, think that we would have stayed together...then. I mean, until now, I guess."

"I can probably guarantee that if I had known then, we would have been doing this a long time ago. There's no one else I've ever, felt this way with before."

"Good answer. I love you, too."

* * *

Several weeks had passed since they moved into the house, everything officially settled in. They had painted, decorated, and added their own touches to everything. Mostly, it was Mulder following Scully's direction, he didn't have much say. When it came to his office, he hung a 'no girls allowed' sign on the door, that was his space to decorate.

They had adjusted and found a rhythm when it came to working together, having only been assigned two cases together since their meeting. She mostly stayed in the lab, busy with the amount of new cases that kept coming their way. After mixing her personal life with work before, she never thought that she'd be able to do it again. But with Mulder, it was different. It was always somehow easier with him, her perfect other half.

"Scully, what is this?" He held up a tool, causing her to cheeks to tinge with color.

"Analyze it, Mulder. What do you think it's for?" She asked amusingly. A few more open and shut clamps, and his eyes widened, nearly throwing it back on the tray. She had an ultrasound scheduled, hoping to get a better look at the baby. They made it early, stopping on their way to work after dropping off Holly.

The doctor entered, getting everything going quickly. They both had tears brimming in their eyes when the heartbeat began to fill the sound on the monitor. He leaned down to place a quick kiss on her temple, overjoyed to be sharing this with her.

"Well, it's a little earlier than normal, but I can definitely tell you what you're having." The doctor chimed in on their moment.

"Yes, please."

"No." They answered at the same time.

"Mulder, you don't want to know what we're having?" Her brow was furrowed, genuinely confused.

"I - uh, kind of want it to be a surprise. If that's okay with you." He gave her a sheepish smile. She let out a heavy sigh, resigning to his wishes. The doctor nodded, finishing going over things with Scully about her pregnancy progression. He excused himself to use the restroom as Scully began changing.

"I was planning to leave a little early today and pick up Holly when she gets out of school. I'll leave you the car and take a cab home first, then pick up my car."

"What are you planning?" She narrowed her eyes at him from the passenger seat.

"Nothing, Scully. I was just trying to spend an afternoon with my daughter. I'm honestly hurt by your accusations."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with my birthday coming up next week, would it?" Eyebrow arched. He didn't see it, but he could feel it.

"Of course not, you said you didn't want to be spoiled." He mock teased. She attempted to suppress the smirk on her face, failing.

He parted ways with her as she snuck down to the lab, giving him the chance to escape. He went home right away, stopping at the store to pick up paint. He spent the entire morning painting the room that she had set to be the nursery. They had picked out generic white colored furniture, waiting to see what they were having to finish the decorating. He knew that as much control as she liked to have over everything, she would enjoy this surprise.

"Where are we going?" Holly asked, excited to see him picking her up from school.

"I figured I'd start by bribing you with ice cream to help me surprise your mom."

"That's a good start. Something for her birthday?"

"No, well I guess it can be." He said mysteriously. She narrowed her eyes at him, the same puzzled look on her face that he encountered several times with Scully.

When he finally told her the plan, her eyes lit up, excited that they were working on something together. It was her job to distract Scully when she got home, keep her downstairs until he gave her the signal that they could come upstairs. She immediately knew something was up, these two conspiring against her.

"Okay, ready!" Mulder yelled from somewhere in the house. Holly flashed her a wide smile, eyes dancing at whatever she was about to see.

"Is this a surprise for my birthday?"

"Not everything is about you, mom." Holly teased, biting back the smile on her face.

"You ready for your surprise?" Mulder asked when they reached the door of the room. She gave him a skeptical look, and he grinned back at her.

"I don't know…"

He kissed her, standing beside her to lead her into the room with his hand on the small of her back. Holly opened the door slowly, revealing a wave of blue washing over her. Her eyes widened at the newly decorated nursery, tears daring to escape. It was beautifully decorated in tiny boats and nautical designs. She couldn't have imagined it better herself, the realization hitting her.

"How did you - we're…"

"We're having a boy, Scully." He was standing behind her, whispering into her ear.

"I'm going to have a brother!" Holly squealed. She was more excited to have this piece of information before her mother.

"I thought you didn't want to know." Her voice was just a whisper, leaning far enough back to meet his eyes. He gave her a smug grin.

"I needed to throw you off my trail. I spoke to the doctor when you were changing, that's why I left the room. Plus, I knew that as soon as we knew the gender you wouldn't let me in here."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But, Mulder, this is amazing."

"Hey, I helped." Holly chimed in, causing Scully to chuckle.

"Oh, I can tell. He doesn't have the decorating and placement skills. Nice paint job though." She playfully smirked back at him.

That night, they laid cuddled even tighter than normal, her showing her appreciation and gratitude for him. They would have never imagined that their memories of a summer night long forgotten would bring them here. She couldn't be happier.

"Mulder, I've been thinking all night, about names now that we know it's a boy."

"I'm happy with anything as long as he's not named after an animal, or some name that's gonna get him picked on. It needs to be a manly man's name." He said as he puffed out his chest. She rolled her eyes, chuckling against him.

"Well, I think it matches all that criteria."

"Alright, Scully. Hit me, what you got?"

"William."


End file.
